Ep II: Empire Ascendant
by jdLevengood
Summary: Star Wars AU. Follow-up to my reimagined Ep. I: The Slave Jedi. As the Clone Wars come to an end, Chancellor Palpatine will lead Anakin Skywalker to question everything he knows about the Jedi Order. Meanwhile, Padme will undertake the task of negotiating the peace treaty to bring about the war's end, ignorant that she is negotiating with the Sith Lord Darth Plagueis.
1. Chapter 1

_Author's note: __This builds off my reimagined version of Episode I: The Slave Jedi. Find it on my author's page if you need to catch up._

**Five years after the Battle of Naboo, the Clone Wars still rage. The war that was supposed to be short has been stuck in a stalemate that appears to have no end. Exhaustion is overtaking both sides, although finding a way to end the fighting has been elusive.**

**With the Republic now at full mobilization, offensives are being raged on all fronts. The tactical brilliance of Grand Admiral Thrawn has led to many victories for the Republic. Despite this, the Separatists have been able to remain in the war by manufacturing a seemingly endless number of battle droids.**

**Needing to strike a finishing blow against the Separatists, the Republic has sent a fleet to search for the most powerful Separatist warlord, Hego Damask. Under the leadership of the Jedi Knights Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker, their fleet has dispatched hundreds of probe droids in the sector of the galaxy where he is rumored to be hiding.**

**...**

A Republic star destroyer flies through the blackness of space. Its ventral cargo bay doors are open, and as it flies probe droids drop out of it. The droids fly off in all directions. Each one has a particular destination, but they all have the same mission, find the secret hideout of the warlord Hego Damask.

All the data coming in from the probe droids is being processed by a team of four analysts working on the bridge. The four analysts are new members to the fleet, flown in to replace the others who needed rest after four months of non-stop work. While they are anxious to do a good job and do their part to end the war, they find it impossible to give their data the attention they should. They are taking constant glances over at the Jedi on the bridge. His name is Anakin Skywalker, although none of them know it, in keeping with the tradition of Jedi anonymity. He is looking out the large viewport of the bridge, his back is turned to the analysts and his hands are clasped behind his back. There is no reason for him to be there, other than to intimidate the rest of the crew. The new analysts don't care for this and can't help but talk about their displeasure amongst themselves.

"Why does that Jedi have to be here? There's nothing for him to do."

"He wants us to know he's watching us. He must figure we'll just goof off if he isn't around."

"It's insulting. Does he really believe we have so little desire to do our jobs? We want this war to end just as much as anyone else."

"I wish he could be more like that other Jedi, the bearded one. That one trusts us. He doesn't try to lead by intimidation like the tall one over there."

"I know what you mean. The tall one doesn't act anything like the Jedi I've heard about. And it's not just about how he treats us. The accent he has, the manner in which he speaks, the way he carries himself. None of it is like the other Jedi at all."

"I heard it's because, he was never raised as a Jedi. He didn't join them until just a few years ago. Comes from some backwater world where he wasn't identified as Force sensitive as a child."

"He didn't join until he was an adult? How is that possible? I thought the Jedi would never allow such a thing."

"Well, apparently they allowed it with him."

"Why?"

"Because he is supposed to be powerful, real powerful in the Force." The man looked around and leaned into the others so he could speak even softer. He was that scared about being overheard. "I've heard he's THE Jedi."

"Theeee Jedi." One of the analysts couldn't help but giggle over the way the other man put a special emphasis on the word. "What do you mean by the THE Jedi."

"Haven't you heard about the one Jedi, who's enormously powerful in ways no one has ever seen before?" The silence coming from the other made it clear he needed an explanation. "There is apparently one Jedi who has been single handedly winning one battle after another for us. He's been doing it since the very beginning of the war, maybe even all the way back to the Battle of Naboo. Some people think the Republic would have lost the war early if it wasn't for this Jedi."

"Can there really be a Jedi like that?" One of the other analysts who had heard the rumors felt the need to voice his skepticism.

"If this Jedi doesn't really exist, then where do the rumors come from?"

The analyst rolled his eyes as he didn't see why he should have to explain how unfounded rumors came about, but he thought he would give it a try anyway. "I don't know where they come from. Maybe people are scared about losing the war, and it makes them feel better to believe we have some super Jedi on our side. Or maybe our government has spread these rumors in order to intimidate the Separatists."

"You know if this Jedi really did exist, it would help if they released his name and let everyone know he was real. Who knows how many worlds would surrender if they found out there was this super Jedi coming after them?"

"That's why I think everything you said is just rumors. If this Jedi was real, there is no way Chancellor Palpatine and the war council would let his identity remain a secret. His face would be all over the holo-news. The public could certainly use the boost of confidence to know we have someone like that on our side."

"They can't release his name because of Jedi anonymity. The Jedi don't want any of their members to have the kind of fame you just described. They want to believe they are all equal in the order. They want their Knights to fight for peace and justice, not fame, fortune, or notoriety."

"It seems like the Republic would really benefit from them breaking their rules."

"The Jedi don't break their rules for anything."

"I don't know about that. According to you, they broke their rules to let the guy in the order in the first place."

"Okay, so I'm not exactly an expert in all things Jedi."

Their conversation had to end abruptly as the tall Jedi turned around and headed directly for them. Fear gripped them, and they did their best to look as busy as they could. They started pressing buttons furiously, knowing they wouldn't do anything other than produce a clanking noise that would cause the Jedi to think they were doing something.

"What have you found?" the Jedi bellowed when he reached them. He stood perfectly straight between them with his hands clasped behind his back. He glanced around at the four of them, waiting for one to summon the courage to reply. They glanced around at each other as none of them wanted to go first. Realizing he was going to have select someone, Anakin glanced down at the man directly to his right. His height made his glare especially intimidating. The analyst felt like his heart was going to stop. Doing his best to push those feelings aside, he found a way to stammer a response.

"I've, uh, got a, uh, got an uncharted settlement on Myrkr. It's smugglers. Well, it's probably just smugglers. It's small, so it can't be much more than smugglers, or some kind of criminals. Certainly not large enough to be the warlord base we are looking for."

Feeling bad for the man, one of his compatriots came to his aid. "I've got a similar finding from Bpash. Uncharted settlement, very small. Not what we're looking for."

"I'll be the judge of that," Anakin scowled as he glared at the analyst who had just spoken. "Map out those settlements for me." The analyst did as requested, and on his monitor appeared a map of the star systems. Anakin moved around to look at it, leaning over to do so. On the screen he saw two systems were colored red to indicate the settlements they were talking about. "Has anyone found anything similar?"

"I have. I've got an image of an uncharted settlement on Bisk. The architecture of the structures is almost identical to the other two."

"That's good. It means they were all built by the same people." Anakin leaned over even more to get a better look at the monitor screen. "The three systems highlighted all seem to be an equal distant from that one in the center." Anakin pointed to the system he was referring to on the monitor.

"That's Utapau."

"That's a heavily populated system," Anakin remarked. "What did our probe droids to that system show?"

All the analysts exchanged worried glances. "No probe droids were sent there. Since it's a heavily populated system, it is unlikely Damask would be able to hide there."

"He could hide there if he's cowed the populace into compliance."

Once again, one of the analysts spoke up to deliver some skepticism to the conversation. "If that was the case, I am sure our traditional intelligence assets would have picked up that information."

What the officer was saying made sense, but Anakin's instincts were telling him something different. He had an inkling that was the system where Hego was. "Damask is on Utapau. I can feel it. Set a course for that system and inform the rest of the fleet of our destination."

"We will be doing no such thing." The voice of Obi-Wan Kenobi was stern and commanding as he walked over to the analyst station.

"But we have good information that Damask is hiding out on the Utapau system." Anakin was trying to speak sternly, but it was hard to do when he was pleading with his former master.

"We have your hunch, and little else." Obi-Wan crossed his arms over his chest as he glared at his former apprentice. "The analyst was right. It's unlikely Hego could be hiding out in such a heavily populated system without us already knowing it. I am the commanding officer of this fleet, and I will decide our destination. Until we get some real information indicating Hego's location, we will continue on our present course."

"If that is to be the case, then I will go and examine the system myself." Anakin was doing a remarkable job of acting calm despite the fury he was feeling. "My ship is my own, and I can take it where I want." As he walked away, he radioed Artoo. "Artoo, get my fighter ready to leave. We are traveling to the Utapau system." Artoo beeped something back that Anakin had come to understand was confusion.

"While I think you are being rash, you are free to go, as you say." Obi-Wan felt the need to get in the last word with everyone watching. While he was proud of the training he had given Anakin, the man had proven to be a very trying Padawan. He had felt a certain relief when Anakin had been promoted to a Jedi Knight. It meant the difficult task of training him was over. Now, he just had to hope that Anakin would remember and take heart all the lessons he had tried to teach him.

**...**

Anakin walked briskly through the halls of the ship. He did his best to hide his emotions, but from the look on his face and the way he was walking, it was clear he was angry. Everyone he passed did their best to get out of his way once they saw him. Their actions served to cheer him up slightly, as he knew he never would have gotten those reactions at the beginning of the mission. Back then, he was a blank slate to everyone, they just assumed he was a normal, stoic Jedi. They soon came to learn how intimidating he could be. It was a reputation he had worked to cultivate, as he knew it was needed to keep the underlings focused and disciplined.

One thing that surprised Anakin was the amount of leeway Obi-Wan gave him in his actions. Jedi were not supposed to lead by intimidation, but he never sought to correct his former apprentice. The approach he was taking was no different than their years as master and apprentice. Despite that, Anakin was still surprised Obi-Wan let him treat the others in the fleet the way he did. He figured Obi-Wan was giving Anakin the room because he figured the years of war were taking its toll on him, and he was willing to forgive his actions because of that.

What Obi-Wan did not realize was it was not the normal toll of war that was affecting Anakin, it was his secret relationship with Padme that was difficult. Because of their unique connection, it was not nearly as difficult as it could have been. No matter where they were in the galaxy, they could connect through the Force and read each other's minds as well as experience the other's emotions. It allowed them to keep their relationship alive, but always left Anakin wanting more. He wanted to see her, talk with her, and touch her just as much as any other husband. During the first couple years of the war, they had seen each other often whenever they were both on Coruscant. As the war dragged on, Padme got increasingly fearful of their relationship being discovered. She kept insisting Anakin stay away from her. The time they spent together was greatly lessened, but Anakin was able to accept it. Padme was on the war council, and she kept telling him they believed the war was close to being over, and once it was, they would be free to be together. Their analysis was incorrect. The war just continued dragging on. There was no way to know if the war would be over anytime soon. Anakin had no way of knowing when the two of them would be free to be together.

The time away was even more unbearable now that Padme insisted they stop communicating through their Force connection. The last time he was on Coruscant was four months ago, right before they departed to search for Hego Damask. He had spent several days trying to see Padme, but she did her best to avoid him. She finally let him come to her apartment. He thought they were going to get to spend some real time together, but she just wanted to see him briefly to tell him they would no longer be able to communicate through their connection, as it was just too risky. Anakin didn't understand, so she had to explain to him she was learning of things through their connection she shouldn't have known. When she inadvertently revealed the information, she had to come up with quick explanations on how she obtained it. Not wanting to experience that situation again, she insisted they stop connecting until the war was over. They fought over the issue but ended up settling it quickly. Padme let him spend the night, and that was the last time they had even talked to each other. The four months without contact was the longest they had ever gone, and it was killing Anakin.

After one month without contact, Anakin couldn't take it anymore. He tried to form the connection but couldn't. This puzzled him, as he couldn't understand how she was able to block it. He didn't think much of it, as they never understood it in the first place.

When Anakin reached the hangar, he saw Artoo had completed all the pre-flight checks on his Jedi starfighter. Anakin slid into the cockpit and flew the fighter out of the ship's hangar. While the nav computer was finishing the calculations for the hyperspace jump, Anakin recorded a message for the one person on Coruscant who was still talking to him. It was Chancellor Palpatine who had devised the mission to hunt for Hego Damask. He had personally selected Obi-Wan and Anakin to lead it and had requested that Anakin personally give him updates. He recorded a short message just to let him know he was following a promising lead on Utapau. He sent it out right before he pulled the lever to send his fighter into hyperspace.

**...**

Chancellor Palpatine did his best to sound pleasant as he walked around the room, working the crowd. He was having a small, informal meeting with several senators, trying to implore them to commit even more forces to the Republic military. It seemed it was the only thing he ever did any more, and he despised it. He wished he could just requisition whatever forces he wanted without having to deal with anyone else.

Palpatine was thankful he was not talking to the senators alone. Bail was there with him. He was now serving as the Senate's delegate on the committee. It was a non-voting position, but allowed for the Senate to have more direct input on the conduct of the war. Grand Admiral Thrawn was also assisting him, speaking through a droid that was emanating his holo-image. He was light years away, currently leading one of the many fleets of the Republic navy. Palpatine required him to explain the military need they had for even more ships. Once Thrawn explained that, Palpatine would explain to the senator how much their system would stand to benefit from committing even more forces to the Republic. He did his best to convince them once the war was over, the galactic economy would explode, and the government coffers would be full to distribute to those systems which had done the most to bring about peace.

In the middle of talking to Aslee Teem, Palpatine saw Senator Garm Bel Iblis walk into the room. He was surprised to see the man here, as he had previously declined the invitation to come. Feeling the man might not have been committed to staying, he excused himself as he rushed up to greet him.

"Senator Bel Iblis, I am surprised to see you here." Palpatine rested one hand on the man's shoulder as he vigorously shook the man's hand with his other. "I thought you were supposed to leave for Corellia today."

"I am. In a couple hours. I was going to skip this meeting, but a couple politicians back home messaged me and implored me to come. They have been willing to give the Republic whatever it needs, and they wanted me to hear what the Republic needed now." The senator glared at Palpatine with an expression that indicated he knew he was the one who had told those politicians about this meeting.

"I'm glad you could come to report back what we need." Palpatine decided to ignore the insinuations the senator had made.

"I should warn you, the belligerent politicians who implored me to come here are not exactly a majority. It is going to take a lot more votes than just those in order to send along any more forces to you."

"Then it appears you are really going to have your work cut out for you," Palpatine pointed out.

Bel Iblis slumped his shoulders as he realized Palpatine was going to manipulate events to get what he wanted once again. "You know, it would be a lot easier if you just recorded a message detailing what you needed and radioed it over to Corellia," Garm said.

"Come on, senator, we both know that's not the way things work." Palpatine grinned from ear-to-ear in amusement. "As you just said, there are not enough easy votes on Corellia for me to procure what I need. That is why you need to make the sale. Only you know the people whose votes are winnable, and you need to know all the details yourself to make the proper pitch to them." While Palpatine had been talking, the droid projecting Thrawn's holo-image had walked over to them.

"I think Admiral Thrawn can take it from here." Palpatine and Bel Iblis listened in silence as Thrawn made his pitch. He started by praising the attributes of the Corellian ships he had in his fleet. He listed all their marvelous qualities and how valuable they had been. He told the senator the Corellian ships allowed him to carry out attacks he would not have been able to carry out with any other ships. The Corellian ships were vital to the war effort, and the Republic needed all of them that they could get.

When Thrawn was finished with his pitch, Palpatine was sure he had succeeded in convincing Garm of the need for the additional ships. He tried to read his face to see what the man was thinking, but his expression was stolid and unreadable. He got his answer when Garm shook his head.

"Your admiral gave a good pitch, I will give you that. I am sure if I went back to Corellia and repeated many of the details he gave me to the right politicians, I could win the votes I need to get the ships you want, but I won't do that. I am the senator for a reason. I have been entrusted to be the sole decider for my planetary system in matters such as this. And it is my decision that my planet can not spare any more resources being diverted to ship building."

From the look on Palpatine's face, it was clear he could not believe what he was hearing. "I should remind you, the Republic has been paying handsomely for the ships we have been buying form you. The money being pumped into your economy is incalculable. I don't see why you would be turning money down like this."

"Now, if you don't mind, I think it is my turn to make a pitch, and your turn to listen." As Bel Iblis began his spiel, Palpatine noticed Secretary Amidala walk into the room. He stared at her, but looked away when she held up a hand to him, sending the message that he should not betray her presence to the senator. Bel Iblis had his back to Padme, and didn't know she was there. Palpatine believed it was remarkable he couldn't feel her presence. She had a way of lighting up a room whenever she walked in. He could feel the eyes of everyone else were on her. He knew it was hard for people not to stare given her beauty. He didn't think it was possible, but over the past few months, she had seemed to grow even more beautiful. She had a glow to her that had appeared out of nowhere. In a time of war, it was remarkable. While everyone else was growing weary, Padme became rejuvenated. It seemed to make her even more effective, not that she had any problem before. She was one of the most respected members of the war council. Palpatine almost stopped Bel Iblis in the middle of his speech, as he knew once he was done, Padme would swoop in and find a way to convince him to do what they wanted.

Bel Iblis talked about how much labor on the planet was being diverted to war production. While the money was nice, the changeover to the war economy had been disruptive, and he knew changing back once the war was over would be even more disruptive. He felt it was his duty to save his planet from such malaise in the future. He then reminded Palpatine the situation he just outlined was the best-case scenario. He explained the length of time it took to build a ship from the initial laying of the hull to the final launch. Each ship was quite the commitment, from the standpoint of time. Garm knew how war weary the citizenry was, and he knew the government would need to end the war soon or face a revolution. The war would be over by the time the ships were completed, thus they would be useless for it."

"You have made a good pitch, I must say," Palpatine began. "These ships are not just for the current war. I believe the galaxy is about to enter a period of turmoil that will require a strong military. Keeping the peace after the end of the war is going to be difficult, and we are going to need all the forces we can muster. The government is going to have a need for those ships in one capacity or another."

"It's not just about will the government need them, it's about whether the government will be able to pay for them upon completion."

"Those ships will be paid for, I promise you that." Palpatine did his best to convey confidence.

"Can you really make a promise like that?" Bel Iblis practically scowled as he talked. "You managed to ascend to the chancellorship because of the war, but war time leaders are often tossed aside once the war is over. If the war ends soon, your chancellorship will be over as well, and any promises you make will quickly be forgotten. I know the state of the government's finances, it has gone into deep debt to fund the war. The next administration is unlikely to pay off its obligations. When that occurs, my planet will find itself with unfinished ships and economic misery."

"I can assure you that will never happen," came a voice from behind Bel Iblis. He almost jumped when he heard Padme's voice. When he turned around and looked at her, his entire demeanor changed. He smiled as his mood lightened.

Now, it was Padme's turn to talk, and to try and make the pitch she had successfully made to countless other politicians. "I, probably more than any other person, hope you are correct about the war ending soon. Ever since we threw the Federation off my planet, we have been living in fear they will return to exact revenge. We are anxious for the war to end, so that we may finally be able to start living in normalcy. Ending this war is going to take a continued commitment out of all of us. I know you think the ships we need will not be able to do anything to bring about the end of the war, but you could not be more wrong. This war is not about who controls the most territory, or who has the largest military. It is about who has the strongest morale. Building these ships will send the message to the Separatists that we are committed to fight this war as long as we need. The ships won't have to fire a single shot in order to end the war. They may not even have to exist. They just have to be on the docket to be built. I know you think the Republic is crumbling, but the Separatists are much worse. If we stay strong and hold together, we can get the Separatists to blink first. Once that happens, the warlord menace will be extinguished, and the galaxy will have peace. We will be able to rebuild, return to normalcy knowing the galaxy will never be ravaged by war again."

Bel Iblis shuffled around nervously on his feet before replying to Padme. "I want this war to end just as much as you. I promise you I will do whatever it takes to get you those ships." Bel Iblis stammered as he sounded apologetic. It was clear he was not lying to get her off his case. He truly believed in what she had told him. Before he left, he not only bowed to her, he took her hand and kissed it. There was no doubt Padme had won him over.

Padme's speech had been heard by everyone in attendance, and it won them all over. Many of them had been skeptical of making the commitments the war council was seeking. After hearing how much their commitment was needed to end the war, they were anxious to help. They were all weary of the war, but they believed the end was in sight, and that just a little more hardship would bring them not just peace, but victory. As they filed out, they all promised to give the war council whatever they needed.

When it was just the three of them, plus the holo-image of Thrawn, everyone relaxed. The Grand Admiral offered some kind words to Padme. "Congratulations, Senator Amidala. Being away from Coruscant, I rarely get to see you perform your magic. It is a pleasure watching you work. If I may offer one critique, it is that you should not make such a promise of victory. As a military man, I know it is my mission to earn it, but right now, the end of the war is more likely to come from the Separatists seeking a peace agreement. Any agreement will allow them to remain independent of the Republic. That would be a victory for them more than it would be for us."

"If it comes to that, then that would be a victory for them," Bail repeated what Thrawn had told them. "Our analysis of the Separatist systems indicate they are on the brink. It might not be long before they overthrow the warlords leading them."

"I am afraid that will never happen, the grip they have on power is just too strong." All eyes turned to Palpatine as he talked. "That is why I have been seeking to take out the warlords themselves. With the fleet hunting Damask, victory may be in our grasp. I have just received word they are following a promising lead. The warlord may shortly be in the custody of the Republic."

Padme's heart leapt into her chest, although she did her best to hide her feelings. She knew if the fleet was close to finding Hego Damask, Anakin would be putting himself at the front of the division sent to make the capture. While she knew his strength, she also knew how reckless he could be. Now, more than ever, she needed him to return home, safe.

**...**

Immediately upon exiting hyperspace and entering the Utapau system, Anakin felt a sensation come over him. His instincts were telling him he was in the right place, this was where he would find Hego Damask. Elation overtook him as he realized what this meant. If he could find him, and apprehend or kill him, he could end this war.

"Jedi Starfighter, what is your mission here?" Anakin wished he had tried to commandeer one of the disguised shuttles that was on the fleet. He had been so angry at Obi-Wan he hadn't thought how he needed to enter the system discreetly. Arriving in the Jedi starfighter alerted them to the fact a Jedi was here likely looking for Damask. At least, that is what Damask would assume. He would send Anakin somewhere as he prepared an ambush to take him out.

"I am here on a reconnaissance mission to the Republic. I request space to land my starfighter so that it may be refueled. I will also require a police escort to accompany me on my mission for the War Council."

"Are you alone?"

"I only have my astromech droid with me."

"We are sending you the coordinates for your landing platform. It is in a sparsely populated city that will allow you to land incognito. We are sending forces out from the capital to meet you."

Anakin knew the real reason why they were sending him to that city. The small city was the best place to attack him. Fewer places for him to run and hide. He had never intended to go to the landing platform they assigned him. He knew Damask was in the capital, and that was where he was going. He just played along to buy some time before they attacked.

"Yes Artoo, I saw the coordinates they sent us. We're not headed there. We're going to the capital." Artoo beeped furiously. Anakin looked at the translation on the computer monitor and saw Artoo was in the middle of delivering a screed on how it was a bad idea to defy the planetary security forces.

"Relax, Artoo. You're starting to sound like Threepio." Artoo let out a series of beeps that Anakin didn't need to read the translation in order to understand. Artoo was angrily denying he was acting like Threepio. He continued to beep a message that they should just head to their assigned landing platform.

"In case you haven't noticed Artoo, I'm the pilot of this ship and I will decide where we go. If you don't like that, you could always eject and try to fly to the surface yourself." Anakin pushed the engines to full throttle as they changed course to head for the capital.

"Jedi Starfighter, you are off course. You are not heading to the landing platform we assigned you." The security dispatcher was doing his best to keep his voice level, but Anakin could detect the agitation in it. He refused to reply as he kept his ship on the course he had set for the capital. He looked around at the fighters that were escorting him. They fanned out into attack positions. His sensors picked up even more fighters coming up from the surface.

"Jedi, please return to your previous course," the dispatcher was frantic now. "If you continue on course to the capital, we will have to assume your intentions are hostile. We will attack your ship. With our numbers, you don't stand a chance."

While Anakin had the utmost confidence in his piloting skills, he didn't want to have to kill any pilots who were just doing their jobs. He had to do his best to avoid a fight.

"My name is Anakin Skywalker!" he yelled. "Does that name mean anything to you?"

"We don't know the names of Jedi," the dispatcher replied, exasperated. "No one does."

"You may not know my name, but perhaps you've heard of my reputation. I am THE Jedi, the one who has single handedly been keeping the Republic from defeat. You do not want to try and attack me, it will only result in death for all your pilots. I know you might be scared of Hego Damask, but trust me, you should be terrified of me."

The laser blasts from the incoming fighters started hitting him right as the indicators on his control panel showed he had entered the planet's atmosphere. He shook his head over the mistake they had made by not heeding his warnings. He cursed the entire practice of Jedi anonymity. Given what he had accomplished during the war, the entire galaxy should have known the name Anakin Skywalker. It should have been a name that caused soldiers to tremble in fear. If the pilots around him understood who he was, they would be running to the surface.

From what Anakin saw on his scanners, it appeared he had the entire domestic defense force attacking him. He smiled as he knew how to make the numbers work to his advantage. He knew as the enemy fighters converged on him, they would be hampered in their maneuvers by their need to avoid running into each other.

As the fighters approached him from every angle, he had to take evasive maneuvers to avoid their blaster bolts. The fighters were swarming all around him, but he couldn't quite line up any in his sights to take a shot. He knew the battle was going to be difficult, but he figured he could shoot down everything in good time.

After the initial attack, Anakin was surprised to see most of the fighters staying back. They were going to make him chase them, and he was happy to oblige. He knew they were trying to set a trap for him, but he was confident he could break it.

Anakin chased the other fighters, shooting them down one-by-one. They were doing their best to avoid him and make him chase them. He assumed at some point they would start swarming around him once again, but no such thing happened. What he failed to notice was that they were leading him towards the surface, where their surface batteries could flood the sky with laser blasts.

All at once, the fighters around him dispersed, leaving him alone. He had just enough time to realize something was about to happen when the sky around him turned blindingly bright with blaster bolts. He tried to stretch out with the Force to see if he could avoid them all, but there were just too many of them. The ship shook as it took one hit after another.

When Artoo started squealing non-stop, Anakin knew the situation was hopeless. Before he could even tell the droid to eject, he saw Artoo shoot past his cockpit. The droid was equipped with both thrusters and a parachute, so Anakin knew he would be able to make it to the surface safely. He had just enough time to put his portable oxygen mask over his face and eject before the ship was completely obliterated.

With the ship gone, the surface batteries stopped firing. As Anakin descended to the surface, he saw the other fighters start to swarm towards him once again. They were waiting for him to start flying around with his jet pack. If he was to do that, he would simply be shot out of the sky. He had something else in mind.

While the fighters flew near him, they still stayed back a little as they were waiting for him to activate his jet pack. He took it off and tossed it aside, as he didn't need it. He preferred to just free fall at terminal velocity, as he had another idea for saving himself. Focusing on the nearest fighter, he grabbed it with the Force and started pulling it towards him. The pilot recognized what was happening and turned his fighter in the opposite direction as he put his thrusters at full throttle. It made no difference, as the only difference with the engines at full power was in Anakin's mind. He effortlessly pulled the ship towards him before turning it around, so he was facing the cockpit.

The surface of the planet was approaching fast, so Anakin had to act quickly. He ignited his lightsaber and thrust it through the cockpit when the ship reached him. He used the Force to press his feet against the fighter, allowing him to stand upright. He tore off the cockpit itself before pulling out the dead pilot and tossing him aside. He climbed into the pilot's seat and got control of the fighter just in time to pull it up and avoid crashing into the ground. He immediately flew the fighter back up into the sky so he could take out as many of them as possible before they realized what happened.

Tuned into the radio of the planetary defense force, he could hear the other pilots sending out the alarm that one of their own fighters had been hijacked by the Jedi. Those who had seen what had happened came after him. Flying without a plan now, they were easy pickings for Anakin. He downed all the ships around him in a matter of minutes.

Free now, Anakin sped toward the city. As the cities of Utapa were below ground instead of above, Anakin was going to need to rely on the ship's navigation system to lead him to the city. He found out how to bring it up and saw he wasn't far away from the city.

While working the controls of the ship, Anakin figured out how to use the radio. He used it to contact Artoo.

"Artoo, find a way to send a message through the hyperspace-link. Tell them I am on Utapa and have been attacked. Hego Damask is here. I need all reinforcements available. Repeat, all reinforcements available."

Artoo warbled to let him know he received the message and would send it out. Anakin switched the radio back over to its regular channel in time to pick up the chatter between the rest of the fighters still left. They were confused with little clue what was happening. Their confusion allowed him to take them out, as they never realized it was him in the friendly looking fighter. His hijacking of the fighter also paralyzed the surface artillery, as they couldn't fire at any of the ships without knowing exactly which one was his.

As he neared the depression that held the capital city, the commanders of the fighter patrol finally got smart and ordered every fighter away from the capital. Being the only fighter around the capital gave him away and the surface batteries started opening fire on him.

The surface batteries were few and far between, allowing Anakin to avoid their blasts before he reached the city. He took his fighter in a steep dive at top speed to avoid the multitude of batteries that he knew would be protecting the capital itself. All the alarms in his cockpit were blaring as they were trying to warn him he was due to slam into the ground. Right before he hit the bottom of the depression, he used the Force to bring the ship to a complete stop. He flipped the ship around and landed it gently on the ground as he wanted to keep it intact in case he needed it again.

His attempts to preserve the ship proved futile. Right as he started to step out of the cockpit, he got the sensation he was in danger. He jumped away from the fighter a mere second before it was torn apart by laser blasts.

When Anakin landed on the ground, he looked up to see the sky above him swarming with battle droids. Some of them had on jet packs and were flying, but most of them were just in free fall, having jumped from the higher levels to come down and attack him. They were all firing at him, but he was able to move his lightsaber fast enough to deflect all their shots. He then used the Force to push them all against the sides of the depression.

Knowing the droids were only damaged, but not destroyed, Anakin jumped up to the first level above him. He used the Force to sprint around the circular level, cutting through each droid he came across.

Anakin went through six more levels of the city doing the exact same thing, taking out all the battle droids that had been sent to kill him. When he reached the second to last level before the top, he could hear the thrusters of a large ship. As he hadn't come across the capital building yet, he figured it must be on the top level, and that the ship leaving was carrying Damask. If he didn't hurry, the warlord was going to get away.

Anakin followed the sound of the ship and leapt up to the top level to find a large passenger transport heading towards him as it ascended into the sky. He wanted to start devising a plan for bringing it down, but he wasn't able to focus on it as he had two large artillery batteries pointed right at him. They were both being operated by a single droid. Before the inept droids could fire at him, he used the Force to lift each one up before bashing them together.

Even with those two droids out of commission, Anakin wasn't able to turn his attention to the fleeing passenger liner as an entire battalion of battle droids was heading his way. He sprinted straight towards the line of droids, blocking all their shots with his saber as he headed for one end of the line. Once he was at that end, he threw his lightsaber straight through the line, watching as it cut apart every droid in the line.

With the entire army of the capital city destroyed, Anakin was able to concentrate on the ship. It was far away now, but not so far that he couldn't do anything. He ran to one of the large artillery guns as he knew he could use that to shoot down the ship. It wouldn't be hard to line up the ship's exhaust and take out its engines that way. As he lined up the shot, he wondered who else might be on it. He reached out with the Force and could feel it was full of innocent civilians. He could detect the exact number, but it was immaterial at the moment. He knew how dangerous Damask was, and that the collateral damage would be worth it to take him out. If he had never become a Jedi, he would have fired and brought down the ship. Killing innocents like that was not the Jedi way, so he stepped away from the artillery gun. He might not have been able to kill Damask, but he could still capture him. He had stopped ships before, and he figured he could stop this one.

Anakin reached out with the Force. Instantly, the ship stopped moving and just hovered in the air. Anakin smiled over the thought the warlord Hego Damask was now his. Just as he was going to call the ship back to him, he felt a surge of Force power emanate from it. When it hit him, it made him feel ice cold as it threw him up into the air. Feeling frozen, hitting the ground caused him a great deal of pain. He laid on the ground, trembling as he kept one eye on the ship. Freed from his grasp, it sped away. When it disappeared from his sight, he knew it was over. It wouldn't be long until it would be able to jump to hyperspace. He had failed.

It took Anakin several minutes to feel normal again. When he had regained his composure, he radioed Artoo. "Artoo, send out a follow-up message. Tell them Damask has escaped. I am going to start investigating and see if I can find out anything about where he might be headed. I anticipate the other droid forces on the planet converging on my position and will need assistance. All nearby fleets are to head directly to Utapau."

Figuring the droid army would be arriving soon, he leapt out of the depression. When he landed outside, he could see an endless stream of battle droids were advancing towards the capital. He smiled as he relished the challenge before him. He activated his lightsaber as he sprinted towards the large army coming his way.

**...**

The clone troopers walked over the ground that was littered with dead battle droids. They were searching for stragglers, making sure there weren't any droids alive enough to attack someone. As they walked around, they all had the same thought, _How did one Jedi do all this?_

**...**

"Check the intercom logs," Anakin yelled to the techs. "Damask must have radioed to his pilots what destination he wanted. He would have wanted them to start the calculations for the jump as soon as possible."

"Anything said over the intercom is not recorded," one of the techs replied. He was doing his best not to sound exasperated.

"I apologize. I should have known that." Anakin truly felt sorry. He knew the techs had a tough job, and he wasn't helping by asking stupid questions. It was a sign his frustrations were getting the best of him. Capturing Damask likely meant the end of the war, and Anakin wanted to make up for his failure.

Anakin stood behind the techs as they worked, watching them closely. He could sense their feelings, and he knew his presence was making them nervous. However, their nervousness was pushing them to work harder than they otherwise would have. It was vitally important they work quickly, as Damask was likely going to travel through several systems before reaching his final destination. They had to start following him as quickly as possible before the trail grew cold.

Anakin watched for a couple hours, believing they had to be making progress. However, they reached a point where they all looked dejected. A few of them turned back to look at him but turned away quickly. Fury rose inside of him as he knew what that meant, they had found nothing, and believed they would find nothing no matter how hard they looked.

While Anakin was never one to tolerate failure, the Jedi code required him to be supportive and understanding of it. He ran through a couple Jedi calming techniques he had used extensively before in order to get his anger under control. When he finally spoke, his voice was calm, and his tone reasoned.

"I know you guys did your best. What we were asking of you was likely an impossible task. Damask did not get to be the most powerful warlord in the galaxy by being sloppy. I am sure he was always careful to prevent leaving a digital trail for where he might have fled."

Before taking his leave, Anakin bowed to them. As their commanding officer, it should have been the other way around, but Obi-Wan told him as a Jedi it was important for them to show humility. Anakin believed otherwise, he felt that subordinates should always be treated as such, or else they might not have the proper respect for their commanders. As with so many other issues, it was something where Anakin had to suppress his own feelings in order to follow the Jedi way.

While Anakin probably should have checked on the troops clearing out the last vestiges of the droid army, he figured Obi-Wan had the task under control. It had been a while since he slept, and with all the action he had seen he needed to rest. He had found the luxurious residential quarters of the governor's mansion. He figured it was the perfect place to rest and get some sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

The holo-image of Thrawn stood at the center of the round table, explaining to the almost twenty members of the war committee how the search for Hego Damask was going. "We owe a great debt of gratitude to the Jedi that left his fleet and found Damask here on Utapau all by himself. It's a real shame we can't give him the credit he deserves." Padme flinched a little upon hearing Thrawn say that, as she knew how much her husband agreed with the sentiment. He always tried to say he wanted his name to be known not so he could bask in the glory, but so their enemies would have the proper fear for him. The last time she had seen him, it appeared he thought the Separatists would surrender en masse if they knew the truth about him.

Padme stared intently at the image of Thrawn as he continued. "The ship Hego Damask fled on did so out of sight of the Jedi who found him. While this Jedi was not able to give us any information about its trajectory, we were hoping the citizens of this world would be able to tell us something. There were several ships in orbit at the time Damask's ship disappeared. One of them should have seen something, but no one has come forward. The situation has been the same with the citizens here. We have been seeking information on what Hego Damask was doing while he was here, but no one will talk to us. The citizenry still appears to be scared of him. Ever since my fleet arrived to join the Jedi's, we have done our best to flood the planet with troops so they will believe we can protect them. So far, it has not helped us at all."

"Keep the troops in place," Palpatine said to Thrawn. "Damask was likely on Utapau for a long time, it will take the citizens time to understand he is gone forever, will never come back, and that they no longer have to fear him."

"If we can't get any information out of the citizens right away, is it really useful keeping the troops around the planet?" Ainlee Teem was asking a question that Padme had been thinking about herself. "We want information that will tell us where Damask fled. By the time the people are willing to talk, won't the trail have gone cold. We have limited resources. Should we really let two entire fleets be tied up on Utapau?"

"There is much we might be able to learn about Damask's whereabouts from any general information the citizens can give us," Thrawn replied. "Someone has to have information on where he believed he could hide. There can't be that many systems where he believes he can lie safe and undetected. He will not be on the move constantly, he will have to settle down somewhere. Our analysts have done a remarkable job compiling a list of possible systems where Damask might have fled. I know there was a lot of guesswork behind it, but that list is a starting point. We have sent out several scout ships to see what they can find."

"That is very good news Grand Admiral Thrawn," Palpatine said to him. "While I agree with much of Ainlee's assessment, I feel it would be hasty to withdraw forces from Utapau at this moment. Let's see if we can find out anything more about Damask's whereabouts over the next couple days, then we will re-evaluate the situation." Palpatine scanned the room to see if anyone had anything more to add. "If no one else has anything to add, then I will adjourn this meeting. Thrawn, stay in communication with us, I want to talk with you along with Secretary Amidala and Senator Organa."

All the other members of the committee filed out of the room without protest. They never took any umbridge to Palpatine having any private meetings with anyone. They never believed he did so to hide anything from them. Even if he did, many of them probably would not have cared. At the start of the war, the committee had assembled with great enthusiasm. Now, that enthusiasm was gone, with many of the members almost running from their responsibilities as the weight of the long war was weighing on them. It had gotten to the point where the committee often did little more than go along with whatever Palpatine decided.

Padme and Bail were just about the only other members of the committee that relished their responsibility, and Bail wasn't even an official voting member, he was just the Senate's observer. More and more, they were the only two whose advice Palpatine sought.

"I was glad the four of us could speak like this," Palpatine said when everyone else was gone. "I have been sensing this war is at a crossroads, and I have wanted to discuss the future of it with you."

"And just what is the nature of this crossroad?" Bail asked.

"I think the citizens of the Republic are ready to see this war end. If we were to offer a cease-fire right now, I think the people would be happy. It would leave us with a divided galaxy; the Republic would have its systems, and the Separatists would have theirs. We would have peace, for the moment, but there is no telling when tensions would flare up again, and we would find ourselves at war once again."

"It sounds like you are trying to sell us on continuing this war," Padme said. "Do you think its possible for us to earn total victory against the Separatists?"

"That is something that I think Admiral Thrawn might be able to answer better than me." Palpatine nodded to the holo-image as he spoke.

"When Palpatine informed me of this meeting, I made sure I came prepared with all the reasons lined up why we could win." Padme was perturbed that Thrawn had known about this meeting in advance and was able to come prepared. She wished she had been afforded that same opportunity. "I know this war has been long, but the Republic has finally turned a corner from the endless stalemate. Our resources and potential have always been above the Separatists, but it has only been recently that we have been able to truly bring all those resources on line and fully mobilize the galaxy. Even more importantly, we have been able to centralize our decision making. As you know, our naval forces are composed of fleets from thousands of different systems. For most of the war, every fleet was led by their own commander. This diversity made it impossible to get all the fleets to fight with one unified strategy. The lack of a single command structure was hurting us. I greatly appreciate the fact the three of you worked intensely to alleviate that. I understand how difficult it was to get all the planetary leaders to sign their fleets over to the Republic. I hope you will be pleased to know that your efforts were worth it. Every asset of the Republic military is now under my leadership. That has allowed us to fight this war with a singular strategy in an efficient manner. I can easily send whatever forces I need to whatever theatre I need without having to play politics. The progress we are making in this war because of that is astounding. It would be a shame for us to sue for peace and halt the initiative we have been able to seize. I believe we have begun our path to victory. If we continue on our current trajectory, we will have the Separatists defeated within the year."

Padme hung her head as she had extreme reservations about everything Thrawn had just said. First, she had always had concerns about centralizing the leadership of the military. She understood why it had to be done, but she worried about the precedent it set for the future. The lack of a standing army and centralized navy had always been a check on the power of the government. There was always fear the centralized military would be used against the people of the Republic. The necessity of winning the war removed most of the skepticism the politicians had concerning the dangers of a large, centralized government. The war was forcing them to make compromises and eliminate many of the tools that had been in place to protect them from a tyrannical government. Padme was hoping they could end the war before all the old checks on power were eliminated. She was reaching a point where it seemed living with the Separatists was preferable to defeating them but losing who they were in the process.

The second concern she had was whether the citizens would support the war for that long. She could feel public opinion turning against it. While the situation wasn't critical, there was no way to know when a preference cascade would begin. It would be preferable to negotiate a peace when it appeared they were still willing to fight instead of being forced into a bad cease-fire.

"Thank you for listing the option we have for continuing the war," Palpatine said to Thrawn. "I believe we have all the information we need from you. You can get back to leading your fleet, I am sure they need you. I can discuss the peace option with Padme and Bail."

After the holo-image of Thrawn disappeared, Palpatine went ahead and gave them their options for seeking peace. "Now might be an optimal time to try and see if the Separatists would be willing to seek peace. Our intelligence has been telling us their citizenry is tiring of the war, probably more than ours. However, the Separatist warlords are much less responsive to their people then we must be to ours. They have a lot more freedom to continue with this war."

"But what can be their endgame at this point?" Bail asked. "I know at the beginning of the war, they were thinking they could defeat us militarily. Now, though, our forces are strong enough so that isn't an option. As far as I'm concerned, any peace agreement that recognized their independence is a victory for them. They should be seeking that and quitting while they are ahead."

"The problem is, none of the warlords attained power by being careful and cautious," Palpatine said. "They are not going to change now. They are going to continue, hoping for internal strife in our nation they will be able to take advantage of to seize more of our territory."

"No matter what the case is, why don't we just put out feelers for a cease-fire and armistice summit?" Padme asked.

"Because making an offer like that will likely be perceived as a sign of weakness. They might think we are desperate to end the war now. It could spur them to fight even harder in the hope of further turning public opinion against the war."

A thought occurred to Padme on how they might be able to make a peace proposal without seeming weak. "What if we were to make a peace proposal while simultaneously sending a message the public is still behind this war, and willing to fight as long as is necessary."

From the expression on the faces of both Palpatine and Bail, Padme could sense they were intrigued by her idea. "What did you have in mind?" Bail asked.

"When Palpatine mentioned the war is at a crossroads, he wasn't exactly revealing a secret. Everyone feels it. Perhaps it would be good to take advantage of that. We should hold a summit, a very public summit to discuss the course of the war. We could have senators, planetary sovereigns, military leaders all come in to give speeches on what course the war should take. However, we don't have a balanced debate. We stack the deck with war supporters, to make it look like there is little opposition against continuing the war."

"A marvelous idea," Palpatine was acting as ecstatic as he seemed capable of acting. "With the way they are monitoring us, they will be sure to pick up on everything being said at the summit. It will appear we are still committed to the war, despite making a peace offer. A marvelous idea, as long as we can find enough supporters to speak."

"Given their vocalness, I don't think that will be difficult," Bail said.

"We need to be careful they don't pick up on the fact we are seeking them out cynically," Palpatine said. "If they knew what was really going on, they might not be willing to be used in that manner."

"I know at least one person who will be willing to speak in favor of the war no matter what. My sister, Queen Soala, has been a vocal proponent of seeing this war to the end. She wants the Separatists to be utterly defeated, as she feels Naboo will never be safe as long as they exist. She feels the Federation will try to return and finish what they started. She will come to speak in favor of the war, even if we are cynically looking for pro-war speakers."

"I can imagine that part of the reason she would come to this summit is because it gives the two of you a chance to see each other," Palpatine said. "I can imagine with all the responsibilities the two of you have, it is has been hard to see each other."

"It hasn't just been hard, it's been impossible," Padme admitted. "Given the situation on Naboo, she hasn't been able to leave the planet, and I've not been able to travel there either."

"So, the two of you haven't seen each other since the Battle of Naboo. That was five years ago." From the expression on Palpatine's face, it appeared he couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Yes. That is why something like this summit will be good. Soala will finally have a reason for leaving Naboo and coming to where I am."

"Well then, it seems like we have no choice other than to go ahead with this summit." Padme didn't like the idea her personal life had anything to do with any decisions they were making. Despite that, holding the summit was still a good idea.

"I take it you wouldn't mind putting this summit together?" Palpatine proposed.

"I would be delighted to," Padme replied.

"And I can initiate contacts for presenting the Separatists with a peace proposal," Bail suggested.

"Why don't you leave that to me. I have discreet contacts that will allow me to speak with Separatist leaders."

"But you have so much on your plate already."

"And so do you Bail, being both senator and king. I promise you, this will get my full attention. I been having the feeling that with the close call Hego Damask just had, he will be anxious to end this war before he ends up dead."

**...**

Anakin walked through the streets of the city Paulau, eyeing every citizen that walked by him. They paid him little attention. It was a situation that made him angrier as he went along. For almost a week, he had been traveling from one city to another, trying to find any leads about Damask's whereabouts. For a week he had been coming up empty.

No one had the courage to talk to them, as Damask had intimidated them too much during his time on the planet. The war council believed that if they flooded the planet with troops, it would cause the citizens to feel safe, and eventually they would be willing to reveal what they knew about Damask.

So far, the strategy hadn't worked. Anakin knew it was doomed to fail. The citizens on the planet were intimidated by Damask, and the only way to get them to overcome that was to present themselves as even more intimidating. They should have been intimidated by the clone troops, by the Jedi walking around. Instead, they knew they had nothing to fear from the Republic, and everything to fear from Damask.

There was one thing the war council didn't know that Anakin did about why the citizens were so intimidated by Damask. He was a Force user, one proficient in the dark side. He might be an outright Sith, or he could just be someone like Anakin, a powerful Force user who had learned how to harness the dark side on his own. He knew if he told Obi-Wan and the Jedi council what he felt, they would try to get to the bottom of it, but he didn't want to tell them what he found. He didn't want them to know. He felt they didn't deserve to know. As he saw it, the Jedi Council had made one mistake after another. Despite their 'insight' in the Force, their decision making was horrible. Worse than that, their code, their rules, prevented them from fighting in the way they needed to win the war. The power of the Jedi was immense, but no one had any fear of them. They showed their enemies mercy, while the Separatists showed none. The believed the way they were acting would win hearts and minds, but Anakin knew it was fear and intimidation that truly ruled. The Separatists acted to keep their citizens in line, while the Republic didn't. Given that disparity, it was no mystery to Anakin why the Republic was having trouble winning the war, despite the vastly superior resources at their disposal.

Anakin was lost in thought when he got a message from Obi-Wan through his earpiece. "Anakin, I need to see you."

"Just tell me what it is." During all their years together, Obi-Wan had always preferred to speak face to face with him, especially when it came to deliver major news. Anakin had gotten tired of always running around for the personal meetings.

"I'm in the middle of something," Anakin lied. "Can you just tell me what it is?"

"I'd rather not, but I guess this line is secure enough. One of Thrawn's scout ships found where Damask had fled. The ship he used to escape from here was found on Dantooine. From what the search team could surmise, upon reaching the planet, he immediately boarded another ship and left. Before he did, however, he killed everyone aboard."

Anakin was thankful Obi-Wan wasn't there to see the utter dejection and anger he was expressing. He had stopped himself from shooting down the ship in order to try and save the lives of the innocents aboard, and it had been futile. Letting Hego get away didn't save their lives. They were just as dead as if he had shot them down, but Damask didn't die with them. He threw away a chance to end the war for nothing.

"Thank you for letting me know," Anakin said. "Have we been given our orders for what our next move is going to be. If we start the search on Dantooine, we might be able to find where he went next."

"We don't need to continue searching for him. The close call he had with you apparently spooked him. He has requested a cease-fire and wishes to negotiate a peace treaty. The news just came in from the office of the chancellor. The military is being alerted so nothing happens that would change anyone's mind. Congratulations Anakin, your pursuit of Hego has brought peace to the galaxy."

Despite Obi-Wan's words, Anakin felt no pride in the news. All he could think was they should have had victory, not this divided peace. "Okay, with the war apparently over, where are we to go."

"We've been called back to Coruscant."

Once again, Anakin was glad he wasn't talking face-to-face with Obi-Wan. He didn't have to try and hide the elation he was feeling over the news they were returning to Coruscant. He was going to be able to see Padme. All the bad feelings he had been experiencing disappeared. The war was ending, and he was going to be able to see his wife. It seemed like this was the moment they had been waiting years for. If the war was to truly end, they then could start preparing for their lives after it, when they would finally be able to be together.

**...**

Padme rubbed her stomach as she walked through the halls of the capital building. She was extra nervous as she couldn't understand why Palpatine had called her in to meet with her. He didn't say much, other than he needed to see her right then. She had tried to protest, telling him her sister was due to arrive shortly, and she wanted to greet her right when she landed. Palpatine assured her he wouldn't need to speak with her for long, and reiterated he needed to talk to her immediately.

Since she felt she couldn't say no to him, she had done her best to hurry and see him. When she made the last turn before his office, she saw Bail walking towards it as well. He stopped when he saw her and gave her a quizzical look.

"Do you know what this is about?" he asked.

"No, just something Palpatine said he didn't want to reveal through a radio message. Do you know if it is just us, or were the other council members called in as well?"

"I think it's just us," Bail replied. "If the rest of the council was coming, I think we would have run into someone else by now." The two of them shared a look of apprehension before they walked into Palpatine's office together.

"Bail, Padme, I am so glad you were able to make it," Palpatine said as he rose up from behind his desk. The two of them were both surprised by his cheerfulness. Given the urgency with which he had talked to them moments earlier, they were expecting a much different demeanor out of him. They looked at each other as they arched their eyebrows.

"It will just be the three of us, so we can sit on the sectional." Palpatine continued talking as they took their seats. "I can guess the two of you are both anxious to hear why I called you hear, so I will cut right to the chase. I have to tell you that while the hunt for Hego Damask did not succeed in capturing him, it did succeed in scaring him. He sent word to me that he is willing to administer a cease-fire effective tomorrow. I hastily agreed to it and have sent word through the military to end the fighting. We finally have what we want, and I don't want to waste any time preparing for the peace summit."

Padme could barely listen to Palpatine as he talked. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. The war was over, just like that. It was exactly what they wanted. She felt like running right out of the office. All her responsibilities were over. Anakin's too. Because they had done so much to start the war, they both felt the responsibility to do everything they could to end it. Now, with it over, they could leave their positions and live together. The timing could not have been better.

"I think both Padme and I would be more than willing to help you put together the delegation for negotiating the peace summit," Bail said. His words helped Padme snap back to reality, as she couldn't help but feel slightly disappointed. It appeared her responsibilities were going to continue for a little while longer.

"That is why I brought the two of you here." As Palpatine spoke, the cheerfulness left him, and he returned to his usual self. He was speaking with his normal heaviness and weariness. As she looked at him, she noted the war ending was a blessing to him, as he had aged considerably over the past five years. His hair was thin and frazzled now. His voice had undergone such a change it was no longer recognizable to those who had gone years without hearing him. He talked as if his vocal chords had been scraped with a scalpel. The most remarkable change was in how he carried himself. He stooped over as he walked. She hoped the end of the war would rejuvenate him. He deserved it, as he had done so much to keep the Republic alive.

"I wanted to speak with you about the peace summit, because I believe instead of sending a delegation, we should send a single person." Palpatine glared at Padme. His expression was pleasant, but Padme still felt he was boring hole into her head. "Padme, I want you to be the sole representative of the Republic at the negotiating table."

For a moment, Padme was silent as she was too stunned to speak. Thankfully, Bail spoke up, so she didn't have to.

"The sole representative at the negotiating table for the Republic? That's impossible. Any peace negotiated with the warlords will not be binding on the Republic unless it is ratified by the Senate. And the Senate will never ratify any agreement that was arranged by a sole negotiator. I shouldn't have to tell you our legislative body is composed of numerous voting blocs that are all going to insist they have a member present at the negotiating table. Everyone is going to want to make sure their own particular interests and power is protected by whatever agreement is negotiated. It's sad that despite the desire to end the war, the politicians are still going to be self-serving. It is the nature of our world."

For maybe the first time ever, Palaptine appeared angered over being questioned. He leaned forward in his chair as he replied. "For years now, I have had to deal with the petty squabbling of one faction after another holding us back and losing the war for us. From the moment I became Chancellor, I knew centralization of power was the only thing that could save the Republic. I have finally achieved it in the military realm, and the results are starting to be realized. However, it has come too late for us to actually win this war. The same factions that have been holding us back are in the middle of tearing this Republic apart, and the only thing that can hold us together is a peace agreement that ends the war. What we need is one person with the authority to negotiate a peace agreement that can simply be imposed."

"And how are we going to do that?" Bail asked. "The Constitution of the Republic explicitly states all treaties must be ratified by the Senate. There is no way around that."

"There is one way. There are still provisions in the Constitution that allow for the appointment of an autocrat during times of war. Any appointed autocrat would have the full authority to negotiate a peace accord on their own and simply impose it on the Republic."

"What makes you believe the Senate will ever agree to such a thing?" Padme could not believe what she heard Palpatine say. "The provisions you are referring to have not been invoked since the formation of the Republic. Given the history of what happened the last time they were invoked, no one will ever want to do so again."

"Yes, I know the appointed autocrat ended up seizing more power than intended and appointing himself autocrat for life. You should know it was also at that time the provisions allowing for the appointment of an autocrat were altered. First, autocrat appointments last for either a set amount of time or until completion of a particular task. Second, the original rules gave any autocrat complete power. They have been amended to allow for appointment of an autocrat in purely foreign affairs. That is the provision we will need to activate to get the treaty negotiated."

"And you want me to be that appointed autocrat?" Padme asked. She slowly put two and two together as she had trouble believing what she was hearing.

"Yes, with the reputation you have, you are the perfect person for the task. Everyone will be assured you will not be looking to abuse your power, not that you will have all that much to abuse. I think the larger problem will simply be getting everyone to believe the autocrat will look out for everyone. They will believe that with you. Over the course of the war, you have had contact with more politicians and dignitaries than anyone. You know more about what every planet, every organization wants than anyone. Padme, I hate to have to burden you with any more responsibility, but this will be it. The end of the war is dependent on a successful peace treaty being negotiated. I wouldn't be asking this of you if I didn't believe you were the only who could complete the task."

Padme hung her head as she looked at the ground. She didn't want to take on any more responsibility, but it appeared necessary for the war to end. She and Anakin needed the war to end in a matter of months. "I will do it," she said meekly. She felt like she was going to vomit.

"Great," Palpatine said as he clasped his hands together. "All we need is one senator who is not a coward. One who has the courage to make the proposal for the autocrat appointment."

"You can count on me for that," Bail said.

"Wonderful," Palpatine said. "I will have my aides draft the petitions. We will be going public with the cease-fire when it takes effect tomorrow. I know the entire galaxy will want to celebrate, and I think the politicians should lead the way. I am putting together a victory celebration to be held tomorrow night. I would hope that both of you would attend. You could bring your sister, Padme. With the summit no longer needing to be held, the two of you will have time to spend together and just catch up."

"I don't know, it looks like I am going to have much to prepare for, but I will be able to spare the time to come to the celebration tomorrow." Padme took a glance at the clock on the wall. "She is due to arrive soon. If we are done, I would like to go and greet her."

"Go," Palpatine said with a smile. Padme did her best to hurry away without appearing to hurry. She didn't want to take the chance Palpatine would come up with a reason to keep her from leaving.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

The wind blew through Padme's hair and dress as she waited on the hovering landing platform for Soala's shuttle to arrive. Padme figured she should have been down by now and wondered if there was some hold-up with the shuttle transfer. Almost a year ago, the government had initiated new regulations for leaders and dignitaries like Soala. Due to fear of assassination, they couldn't land in their own ships. They had to dock on transfer stations in orbit, and board a government shuttle. Their shuttle would always be escorted by two identical shuttles so assassins would never know which one held the politician.

While Padme more than anyone understood the need for a heightened level of security, she felt the new transportation protocols were too much. A lot of resources were diverted to a limited precautionary measure when they should have been actively seeking out any assassins. What they were doing was the kind of thing that made people feel better while accomplishing nothing.

When Padme recognized the three identical shuttles coming towards her, she was reminded they were much more conspicuous than a lone Naboo cruiser. All three touched down on the landing platform, and all three opened their landing ramps. Padme had to look around at all three of them and didn't notice her sister until she was halfway to her. When her eyes fell upon Soala she couldn't believe what she was seeing. They had talked constantly through holo-vids, but those holos never did a good job of conveying to Padme just how much her sister had changed. When they had last seen each other, she still appeared to be a child. There was no mistaking now she was a full-fledged adult. Padme was astounded how much her sister reminded her of their mother. Despite the aged appearance, she still carried herself with the youth and vibrancy she did when she was a teen. Because of the war, Padme was accustomed to noticing looks of heaviness and weariness in people, but she saw none with Soala.

If the two had not been in public, they both would have been more expressive of the joy and happiness their reunion was bringing them. Public decorum required they act stoic and subdued. Neither of them minded having to hold back, as their facial expressions did more than enough to convey the utter joy they were both feeling over the reunion. Neither had to say anything to the other.

The one display of affection Soala did make was wrapping Padme in a warm embrace. While Soala was wrapping her arms around her sister, Padme shifted to keep Soala from pressing herself against her stomach. As Soala pressed her face against Padme's shoulder, she was able to look over it and see a familiar face had accompanied the queen.

"Ryu? Ryu Kim, isn't it?" Padme said. Soala broke the embrace as she looked back at the man standing dutifully behind her. "I can see you're still working as my sister's bodyguard," Padme had a big smile on her face as she talked. "I'm kind of surprised you haven't moved on to bigger and better things."

"I don't understand what you mean by bigger and better things," Ryu said with a puzzled expression on his face. "What could be more important than protecting the life of our planet's sovereign?"

Padme let out a hearty laugh. "I can see why you've kept him around." Soala looked uneasy over something. "There's really no need for us to stay out here in these high winds. I have arranged for us to have lunch at one of the most exclusive restaurants on Coruscant."

**...**

Wanting to talk privately with Soala, Padme had arranged for them to have their own room. The restaurant only had large halls as private rooms, so it was just the two of them in a hall built to hold many, many more. Padme was perfectly fine with it, but Soala seemed uncomfortable. Well, she was uncomfortable about something, and Padme guessed it was the fact they were eating alone in the manner they were. Soala's uncomfortableness had made her nervous, and she was glancing back constantly at Ryu. He was standing dutifully behind Soala's chair, keeping guard. Padme had implored with him that standing guard was unnecessary, the restaurant was popular with politicians, and was well-secure. She told him several times to sit down and eat with them, but he didn't want to. Soala seemed to wish that he would have taken a seat. Padme wondered why she just didn't order him to sit and eat. She guessed her sister didn't want to command her bodyguard in such a manner.

Knowing what her sister liked, Padme had decided on the menu for them well ahead of time. The meal was several courses, which were brought out slowly, as arranged, giving the two of them a long time to talk and catch up. While they had talked regularly through holo-communications, it was just so much different being able to talk face-to-face. They told each other several things they had already told each other, but neither one minded hearing about them again. They both had things they wanted to share with their sister again now they were seeing each other in the flesh.

Despite all the sharing they did, there was one subject the two of them knew to avoid, Anakin. It was a subject that in five years they had never discussed. Padme had been too fearful that a transmission would be intercepted, and their secret discovered. It pained her to have to keep so much to herself, at times it felt like the secrecy was destroying her, but it was something that needed to be done. It had been hard, but their need for secrecy was close to ending. Just a little while longer, and they would have the freedom they had been desiring for years.

Padme had arranged their day so they would have some time after lunch to stop by her apartment. She wanted to show off her place to Soala, and there they would have plenty of privacy to talk about whatever they wanted. When dessert came, she started to get antsy about going home. She was excited she was finally going to be able to have the opportunity to have some of the conversations with her sister she had been anxious to have over the past five years. She tore into the chocolate cake that was brought out for their dessert. She intended to finish it quickly so they could leave.

After taking one bite of the cake, Soala yelled out over how good it tasted. Padme laughed heartily over her sister's reaction. It was something she had not seen since they were children, and it warmed her heart.

"Get over here, Ryu, you have to try this," she squealed as she turned around to stare at her bodyguard. Ryu was clearly uncomfortable. He did his best to stay unmoved, but his eyes were darting between Soala and Padme.

"I agree with my sister," Padme said to Ryu. "You need to try the cake. It's one of the things this restaurant is known for." He still looked uncomfortable, but Ryu gave in and walked up to the table. He leaned over to grab one of the spare forks, but as he did so Soala thrust her fork up against his face.

"Here you go," she said. Padme was shocked by the familiarity Soala was displaying with her bodyguard. It only took her a second to understand why. She had to work hard to keep her expression stoic as she desperately wanted to smile. Ryu, on the other hand, was not amused. He had a grave, serious expression on his face as he stared at Padme. He understood she had figured out what was happening. He took the bite of cake Soala offered before moving back to his previous guard position.

As he walked back, Soala kept her eyes on him. She was completely oblivious to the fact she had just revealed their relationship. "Did you like it?" she asked.

"Yes, I did. I can understand why they are famous for it." Ryu looked like he just wanted to crawl into a hole and die.

"Do you want another piece?" Soala asked.

"No, it was so good, that I would rather see you enjoy it all." Soala simply shrugged as she turned back around and finished her cake. Once it was over, the three of them took Padme's chauffeured spinner to her apartment. While Padme now had something else she was desperate to talk to her sister about, she worked hard to keep the conversation solely on her place of residence. She described the neighborhood she was in as well as the building. She had the penthouse, a privilege she had earned through her position on the war council.

When the three walked inside the apartment, they were greeted warmly by C-3PO. "It's so nice to see you again, Queen Soala," Threepio said. "You have changed so much since the last time I saw you."

"And you haven't changed at all," Soala replied.

"Oh, I don't know about that," Threepio replied. The droid proceeded to tell her about every minor dent and scratch he had received over the last five years. He started to, at least. He would have spent hours telling her about each one, but Padme interrupted him.

"Threepio, why don't you take Ryu and show him around the place. Since they are going to be staying here with me, it is imperative that Ryu, as Soala's bodyguard, knows the layout of the place. I want you to go ahead and show him all the security features. Each one. Explain everything so he knows their ins and outs."

As Threepio lead Ryu away, Padme was content she had found a way for the two of them to be kept occupied for a long time. She figured she and her sister would now have the privacy they needed to discuss anything and everything. She walked Soala to her bedroom.

"Is Threepio the only help you have here?" Soala asked as she looked around.

"Yes, he is."

"I have to say, I am shocked. I would have thought you would have been given servants to cook and clean."

"I did, up until a few months ago. I not only had servants to cook and clean, I had servants to help me dress, and do my hair. I know I grew up with an army of servants, so I should have been accustomed to it, but I came to feel uncomfortable with an army of servants at my disposal. There are so many people suffering so many hardships because of this war, I just felt horrible having my every need attended to by someone else. I ended up dismissing them all."

"So, that's why you dress and do your hair so simply," Soala said. When they entered the bedroom, Padme sat on the bed, but Soala looked around before joining her sister. When she sat, she realized what she said might have sounded harsh.

"I hope you weren't offended by what I said," Soala said as she winced. "I didn't mean to say you looked bad. You look wonderful in fact. You have this presence about you now. I have to say I was shocked by it. I thought you would be worn down by the war, but you look stunning, like you have some aura around you emanating your spirit. The fact you are dressing simply doesn't change that, and I didn't mean to imply otherwise. I am just a little surprised by the way you are dressed now. This loose and baggy dress you're wearing isn't like anything you wore before."

"I know." Padme seemed uncomfortable as she pushed a couple strands of hair behind her ear. "It took a long time, but it just felt wrong to be always be dressing so elaborately during a time of war. Like I said before, so many people are suffering such unbelievable hardship, and here I was still inundated with wearing the latest fashion from the best designers. It just seemed like it was time to simplify things. I ordered a bunch of simple dresses and dismissed most of my servants as I didn't need their help anymore."

Soala thought of something that caused her to laugh uncontrollably for a long time. "I'm surprised you don't see the humor in your actions," she said. Padme shook her head to indicate she didn't know what Soala was referring to. "Don't you remember what happened when we first met Anakin. It seems like you've finally adopted the attitude he had about your clothes back then. Remember how he laughed at you for packing all those fancy dresses on your panic ship." Padme started giggling as she finally remembered the moment Soala was referring to. They had brought Anakin aboard their ship so he could see if they had anything of value to sell. He had teased her about her elaborate outfits, forcing her to explain to him how clothes like that were expected of a woman of her stature. He hadn't believed her at the time but came to understand during the summit they had on Alderaan. It had been hard for him to understand her world but come to understand it he did. For a little while, at least. Some of the recent issues they had been experiencing showed there were always going to be problems between them because of the different backgrounds they came from.

"I'm glad to see you still have fond memories of Anakin," Soala said. "I take it that means the two of you are still happily together."

A feeling of relief came over Padme. During the length of her marriage, she had never been able to confide in anyone. Now, that her sister was finally here, she was going to have to be careful not to talk her ear off about it. "Yes, we're still together." Tears of relief started welling up in her eyes, and she had to fight to hold them back. "How happily we're together is debatable."

There was an expression of pure sympathy on Soala's face as she reached over and grabbed a hold of Padme's hand. "I'm here now, you can tell me whatever you need."

"It's been hard, harder than I could have ever imagined." Padme failed to hold back her tears and needed to wipe a few away. "With Anakin constantly on the front-lines, I've been worrying non-stop. I can't express how thankful I've been that we have our connection. It allowed me to know he was at least alive. While I have classified feeds telling me most of what occurs, they don't name Jedi casualties. Our connection was the only way for me to know he was alive. It was a lifesaver for me, but we had to give it up a few months ago, right before he left on his last mission."

"Give it up, why would you do that?"

"Like I said before, I have access to most classified information, but not every piece of information makes its way into the system in a timely manner. In talking to Anakin through our connection, I often came to know things about his missions before they made their way into the reports. I always did my best to avoid saying what I knew, but I wasn't perfect. There were a number of occasions where I mentioned something I learned through my connection with Anakin, and everyone was puzzled how I came to know it. I was able to deflect their questions, mostly. I was always thankful our reports never named the Jedi, otherwise someone might have figured out it was always Anakin's missions that I had special knowledge of. Despite that, I reached a point where I knew I couldn't make another mistake like that. I told Anakin we couldn't connect anymore." Padme swallowed hard as she remembered how difficult and unpleasant that moment had been. Soala gave her hand a tight squeeze to try and give her a little more comfort. "Anakin didn't understand why we needed to do it. In a way, he never quite understood the need for secrecy. He came to believe with everything he was doing for the Jedi and the Republic, he was above the rules. I told him he was wrong, and that how people reacted to him was not the problem. In my position, trust is everything. I need people to trust me and believe what I tell them. If they were to know I had been engaged in a secret marriage, my credibility would disappear."

"Were the two of you actually able to keep from connecting?" Soala asked. "It always came so naturally for the two of you, I didn't think you could prevent it."

Padme used her free hand to rub her stomach as she considered how she should respond to Soala. "It was something the two of us never really understood. I've simply made no effort to connect, and I guess Anakin never has either. Despite his reluctance, he has honored my request."

"How long do you think he'll be willing to honor it?" Soala asked.

"Hopefully, just a little while longer." Padme's tears disappeared in an instant as her entire face brightened. "I probably should have told you this earlier, but we will not be needing you to speak at any upcoming summit, as there is not going to be one." From the expression on Soala's face, Padme knew she was not pleased with what she was hearing. Padme hoped things would change after Soala heard everything she had to say. "Right before I came to greet you, I was meeting with Palpatine. He informed me that Hego Damask has called for a cease-fire, effective tomorrow. The fighting is to end."

Padme was glaring at her sister to gauge her reaction. She was ready for anything, except the complete lack of a reaction she saw on her face. While Soala's facial expression didn't give away her thoughts, Padme knew what she was thinking when she let go of her hand.

"I'm sorry, Soala, I know this is not what you want."

Soala kept her eyes on the ground as she didn't want to look at her sister. She kept her voice low to try and hide her anger. "You know I didn't want peace, I wanted the Federation and all the Separatists eradicated. Naboo will always be in danger as long as they are allowed to exist. Despite that, I understand how much the rest of the galaxy needs this war to end."

"It's not quite over yet," Padme said. Soala looked confused. "The war won't officially be over until a peace treaty is negotiated. Palpatine knows that with the way the Senate operates, it will be extremely difficult to get a treaty negotiated and ratified by the Senate. There are so many competing factions who all have their own needs that it will be almost impossible to please them all. That is why he wishes to send me as the sole negotiator. The only way to make that work is to name me an autocrat in the matter of the treaty. I am to negotiate a treaty that will simply be imposed on the Republic."

"Do you really think the Senators will accept that?"

"Palpatine and Bail certainly do. Apparently, I have earned quite the reputation during my time on the war council. They believe I am just about the only person everyone will trust to do this. And trust is really what this is all about. That is why my relationship with Anakin must remain secretive. His fleet is due to arrive tomorrow, and I need to stay away from him so no one learns what we have been hiding. If everyone knows what I have been hiding, they will lose all trust in me."

Soala reached out and stoked Padme's cheek. "I will do everything I can to help you keep your secret. I am at your service. I understand how difficult it must be on your relationship to have to keep so much from Anakin. I will do whatever you need to help keep your relationship with Anakin strong while working to keep it a secret. I want the two of you to make it through this."

Padme choked up once again over hearing everything her sister was willing to do to keep her marriage alive and strong. "Don't put too much of a burden on yourself over me. You've already done so much and sacrificed so much for my marriage. I would feel terrible asking any more of you."

"If you're referring to me becoming queen so you could marry Anakin, then I am going to have to ask why you would consider that a burden. I love being queen. I wanted it. This is no burden."

"What about you and Ryu?" From the look on Soala's face, Padme could tell she was right, and that her sister had no idea how she had figured it out. "The two of you have acted very familiar with each other. I remember what he was like five years ago, when he obediently stood guard without rest while you were in the bacta tank. He loved you then, and it seems that you have come to love him as well. But the two of you can never be together, because he doesn't have the stature needed to marry the queen."

"I'm sorry I tried to keep it secret from you." Soala spoke so softly Padme could barely hear her. "I know you have so many of your own problems I didn't want to burden you with mine."

"But I am responsible for your dilemma," Padme pointed out. "If I hadn't abdicated so I could marry Anakin, you wouldn't be under the restrictions you are that are keeping you from being with Ryu. I promise that when this is over, I will appeal to the rest of our planet that we need to leave behind all the old rules of stature. Something tells me that with the horrors this war has brought, no one will be concerned any longer with the stature of your future husband. And if they still care, I will do everything I can to convince them otherwise. After everything you did for me, I owe it to you."

"Thank you, if you truly are as persuasive as everyone on this planet seems to believe, then I guess I should start planning my wedding with Ryu." The two sisters shared a laugh as they embraced.

**...**

While the two sisters would have loved to relax, catch up, and have fun, there was work to attend to. Padme knew Bail and Palpatine would discreetly be putting out the word they were planning to have her appointed autocrat for the negotiation of a peace treaty. She knew she would be facing a lot of questions from certain people and certain groups whether she understood their interests and could be counted on to stand up for them during the negotiations. She had to do a lot of research to try and identify those groups and come to understand what they would be looking for out of her. She needed to study up on their issues and craft responses for them. Soala worked with her. It was hard work, but they had fun doing it together.

When it was time for them to get some sleep, Soala asked if they could relive their childhood for one night and share a bed. She thought it would give them an opportunity to talk some more. Padme dismissed the request by telling her she was going to have a long day and was going to need to be fully rested. She didn't want someone else in bed with her keeping her awake. Soala was disappointed but didn't protest.

**...**

Padme got the good night of sleep she needed. When she woke, the blinking on the console of her night stand indicated there was a message for her. She commanded the computer to play it, and the holo-image of Palpatine soon emanated from it. When she saw the message had been sent an hour ago, she marveled at the fact the chancellor had been up and working for so long already. She wondered what fueled him, and hoped that once the war was over, he would be able to scale things back, or maybe even give up power and retire. With the way he was working himself, it was no wonder there was a physical toll being taken by his body.

The message was a short one, he did nothing more than tell her he had to see her that morning. She didn't need to rush over, but they had to meet to discuss the potential peace summit. Hego Damask had sent them the details of what he wanted. He needed to go over what they would agree to and what they would demand of him.

After listening to Palpatine's message, Padme recorded a simple audio message letting him know she could meet him in his office in an hour. When she was done with that, the voice of Threepio came through the console's speaker. "I have your breakfast, Madame Secretary."

"You can come in." Her door slid open and Threepio walked in carrying a tray of food. Soala was with him and walked in as well. Padme hurried to pull the bedding up to cover herself.

"It's just me, your sister," Soala said with a laugh. "You don't have to worry about your modesty around me."

"I'm not worried about my modesty," Padme protested. "I was simply feeling cold right when you walked in. What are you doing here?"

Soala was taken aback by the angry and accusatory tone of her sister's voice. "I just thought that for one morning you might want some help getting ready for the day. It would give us a chance to spend some time together." Soala sounded hurt and angry.

"I'm sorry, I just got a message from Palpatine, he wants to meet with me this morning. I've got a lot of things I need to run through in my head. I think I would just prefer some privacy this morning." Padme felt bad having to deny yet another request of her sister's. Soala did her best to hide her feelings, but Padme knew she was dejected. "Tonight, I am definitely going to need some help getting ready for the celebratory ball. You can help me then. It will be just like old times, we'll be able to talk all we want."

"I'll be looking forward to that." Soala smiled before she left. Threepio walked out with her, telling her how glad he was to have her there to help Padme.

"I am so glad you are here to help Padme," Threepio said. "I have been worried about her ever since she dismissed all her servants. She is a high-ranking government official and should not be doing so much to take care of herself. She has also isolated herself. You and Master Ryu are the first people she has had over here in almost four months."

Padme wasn't able to hear the rest of the conversation as the door slid shut when they exited the room. She hoped what Threepio said wouldn't make her sister too worried about her. Soala knew the way the protocol droid could be and would probably figure he was making something out of nothing. As she ate her breakfast, she continued to worry about what the droid might be telling her sister. She had kept him around because she figured he was ignorant about human behavior and physiology, but she started to wonder what he might have been able to pick up from her.


	4. Chapter 4: Revelations

**Chapter 4: Revelations**

Anakin stood in the back of the room. His eyes were focused on Obi-Wan, who stood in the center of the circle of Jedi Masters. He was being initiated into the Council. Mace Windu was leading him through the oaths he needed to take, and he was repeating them. It was very similar to the initiation of a Padawan.

Outside of the Jedi Council members, Anakin was the only witness to the proceedings. Council initiations were normally private affairs, but Anakin was allowed to witness as he was the Knight that allowed Obi-Wan to gain the stature of Jedi Master. A Knight had to train a Padawan to Knighthood before he could become a Jedi Master, and only Jedi Masters could sit on the council. Given Anakin's unique situation, he became a knight after just a few years as a Padawan. This allowed Obi-Wan to become a Master at a very young age, meaning he was one of the youngest Jedi Council members ever.

After Obi-Wan made all his pledges, he was allowed to take his seat in the circle. He was given a moment to revel in the moment before the council started discussing business. They had just a short discussion about the upcoming peace summit. Palpatine was requesting the presence of one of the Council members as a representative at the summit. He believed it would be important to have one of them there in order to show they supported the peace effort. They pledged to agree to the request, while waiting to decide later on just who should be sent. They then moved on to the only other topic, that night's celebratory ball. They had been invited to attend by Palpatine and agreed to accept. He also wanted them to be introduced along with the other guests of honor. Some of the council members objected to it, as that kind of revelry was against the Jedi spirit. Most of the members believed that they needed to accept the same honor as the other politicians. This ball was to celebrate the armistice, and show the public the entire leadership of the Republic was willing to accept the divided peace they had negotiated. They knew holos of the celebration would be broadcast to the citizenry of the Republic. It was decided the Council members should come in with the rest of the politicians to present the proper message, as well as show the Council was on the same level as all the other leaders.

As Anakin listened to the Council discuss that night's celebration, he couldn't help but think Padme would be attending. As one of the highest-ranking members of the war council, she would be introduced as a hero of the Republic along with the Council members. He was proud of her, she certainly deserved the honor. He just wished he would be able to share it with her. After speaking for years through their connection, Padme had insisted they no longer form it. Anakin had tried to form it, but somehow, she had been able to block it. He was desperate to talk with her, but not only was she blocking the connection, she was blocking his radio messages. When he arrived on Coruscant, he had found a message from her waiting for him. She had told him with the war so close to ending, it would be best if they had no contact until the peace treaty was signed. She knew it wouldn't be long. Once it was all over, they could be open about their relationship. They just had to hold out a little longer.

Anakin saw no need for such an intense level of secrecy and was planning on going right from the Council meeting to Padme's apartment to try and see her. He couldn't help but think how ridiculous it was he was her husband and yet he couldn't see her at all. Before he left, though, he just wanted to have a word with Obi-Wan.

When the Council disbanded, Obi-Wan came right over to speak with Anakin. "Congratulations," Anakin said to his former master. "This is quite the honor."

"Yes, it is, and I am glad you were able to be here. I wanted to talk with you because I would like for you to attend the ball tonight. The Council wants some rank and file Jedi to attend and mingle with the rest of the attendants. Just Jedi who can get their faces on the holo-cameras so the public knows the entire Order is on board with the agreement."

"You mean the presence of the Council isn't going to be enough?" Anakin's scowl conveyed his feelings.

"There are a lot of people who don't pay much attention to news. They might miss the Council's introductions. That is why it is imperative we have other Jedi there to blanket the coverage of the event."

"Doesn't sound like my kind of thing," Anakin replied with a shake of his head. "If I reconsider, I'll let you know, but right now, I think I'll pass." A thought suddenly occurred to Anakin as he finally noticed something Obi-Wan had mentioned. "You guys are going to be introduced with the rest of the dignitaries. Does that mean your names are going to be given?"

"Yes, everyone else is going to introduced individually, and by name. The Council believes we should be treated the same as everyone else."

"So, no more anonymity for you. The entire galaxy is going to learn your name tonight."

"Yes, just like with the rest of the Council. It's one of the burdens of council membership. No more hiding behind anonymity."

For a moment, Anakin thought Obi-Wan was being sarcastic over his mention that giving up anonymity was a burden. He would have given anything for the galaxy to know who he was and what he had accomplished. Knowing that if he attended the ball, he would have to hear the Council being introduced just gave him another reason to avoid it.

"I'll think some more about whether I want to attend tonight and let you know." Anakin walked right past Obi-Wan, hoping the Jedi wouldn't ask him where he was going.

**...**

Padme walked into Palpatine's office to find him dictating something. He stopped abruptly and took off the microphone around his neck as he greeted her. "I apologize for being in the middle of something. It is exactly one hour after you sent me your message. You think after all this time I would have learned that you are perfectly punctual."

"There is no need to apologize to me. I know how much you have to do. I can guess that every second of time is precious to you. So, why don't we end the pleasantries and get right to why you called me here."

Palpatine smirked before replying. "I called you here because Damask has sent along the details of what he wants for the peace summit. First, as we expected, he wants the summit held on a Separatist system. He has asked for it to be held on Geonosis."

"Geonosis? The planet where they have almost all their droid factories. It is an interesting choice, for sure."

"It makes perfect sense. It is the most heavily armed planet they have. They apparently want security to ensure that we don't try any funny business during the negotiations."

"What assurance do we have they won't do anything? I'll be walking right into a system armed to the teeth with Separatists."

"Hego Damask anticipated this. He told us he would be willing to send away all Separatist naval forces. He proposed that he will allow us to blockade the planet as long as we leave the surface untouched."

"It seems like a fair trade. Their forces control the surface, and ours the skies."

"Does this mean you approve of the arrangement?" Palpatine's face brightened with hope. "In case it's not clear, since you are the only dignitary who will be attending this summit, the decision to accept or deny Damask's proposals rests entirely with you."

"I say agree to it," Padme replied. "What else is there?" Palpatine presented all the proposals Damask made, and Padme willingly accepted each one. She wanted the war to be over shortly and didn't want negotiations over the summit itself to hold up anything.

"Now, for the final piece of business. I think it would be good optics to have at least one member of the Jedi Council there. They have agreed to it. They intend to name the member later, but I was wondering if there is one particular member you would prefer to have accompany you."

"I'm not sure I have any preference there. I know we've had a lot of discussions with them, but they've all come and gone so much with this war, there isn't one I've become particularly close to. Just let them send whoever they want."

"You know, when they replied to my message, they also sent along the news there is a new member of the Jedi Council. Our old friend Obi-Wan Kenobi is now on the Council."

"Obi-Wan? I would definitely be the most comfortable with him. Tell the Council to send him."

"Excellent." Palpatine replied. Padme didn't think she had ever seen him happier, and she couldn't understand why this gave him so much joy.

**...**

Threepio went around Padme's apartment, doing what he could to tidy up the place. Ever since she had dismissed all her servants, it had been hard for him to keep the place in order all by himself. Secretary Amidala was a high-ranking government official, and the tidiness of her apartment should have been a reflection of that. While she didn't entertain guests in her apartment anymore, Threepio did his best to clean the apartment every day, just in case someone came over.

Queen Soala and her bodyguard were the first people to set foot inside the apartment in months. From the way she left her room, it appeared she didn't care about cleanliness either. He was happy when everyone left, Padme had a meeting with the chancellor and Soala took her bodyguard out to eat at one of the trendiest Coruscant restaurants. He first did his best to clean Soala's room, marveling at how a woman raised as a royal had come to be so unkempt. The war had many casualties, and tidiness and cleanliness appeared to be two of them.

Threepio had just finished cleaning Soala's room when he heard a familiar voice shouting from the living room.

"Padme! Padme! Where are you?"

Master Anakin sounded distressed. Threepio hurried out as fast his rickety metal legs would let him. "Mistress Amidala is not here at the moment," the droid said when he reached the living room.

"Where is she?" Anakin bellowed. Threepio couldn't understand why Anakin was so belligerent. Why he was uncouth and slovenly, he had always been relatively well-behaved.

"Mistress Padme went to meet with Chancellor Palpatine. After that-" Threepio stopped in the middle of a sentence as Anakin had hurried away right after hearing Padme was meeting with Palpatine. He hadn't stayed around to hear that after meeting with Palpatine she was going to join her sister for lunch. Threepio would have run after him but knew he could never move fast enough to catch up to the Jedi. Besides, he couldn't be bothered with Anakin's problems, he had a filthy apartment to clean.

**...**

Anakin raced to the capital building where Palpatine had his office. While he was able to land his speeder right next to the building, two guards stood in his way when he tried to enter the building. He was annoyed they would bother to do so when he was clearly dressed as a Jedi. More than that, he was annoyed they didn't know who he was. Given everything he had accomplished, everyone should have known the Jedi Anakin Skywalker. Instead, he had to wait as the scanners built into the guards' helmets analyzed his face and tried to match it against the Jedi records.

"You're clear, Jedi," the guard to his right said as he moved aside. After taking a few steps inside the door, Anakin stopped to ask a question.

"Did your computer give you my name, or just list me as a Jedi?"

The two guards looked at each other. Anakin couldn't see their faces, but their body language indicated they were thoroughly confused. "It just listed you as a Jedi," the guard to his left finally said.

Anakin took off walking again. As he did, he was able to hear the two guards talking.

"I thought Jedi were supposed to be anonymous? Did he expect the computer to give us his name?"

"Maybe he's the new member of the Jedi Council?" Anakin grumbled to himself as he walked out of earshot of the two guards.

Anakin had only been in the palace once before, when Palpatine had requested to meet with him personally before sending him off on the mission to find Damask. Despite that, he mostly remembered how to find the chancellor's office. The door was open, and he peaked inside to find it empty. That probably should have been enough to convince him to leave, but he couldn't help but walk in just to have a peak around.

"Can I help you with something?" The voice of someone, most likely a servant, came from behind him.

"I'm just looking for someone," he replied. When Anakin turned around, he was surprised to see Palpatine standing before him. Palpatine's voice was much different than what he remembered.

"Looks like you've found someone, hmm," Palpatine said.

"Sorry, chancellor." Anakin bowed as it was the best show of respect he could think of. "I didn't mean to barge into your office like this."

"Oh, don't feel bad. I often keep the doors open like this because I want people to be free to come in and talk to me about whatever concerns them. In fact, Secretary Amidala was just here to talk with me. She wouldn't happen to be the person you're looking for, would she?"

"Yes, she would be the person I'm looking for." Anakin had not figured on having to come up with an excuse for why he was looking for Padme. He managed to come up with a cover story quick. "With the war ending, I wanted to see her and congratulate her for everything she did to help bring it about. I've heard how vital she has been to the war council and given everything the two of us did to start this war, I wanted her to know she did the right thing. While everyone in the galaxy might not feel it, she did the right thing in standing up to Damask all those years ago."

"I think she would appreciate hearing that from you," Palpatine replied. "I don't know where she went when she left here, but I do know where she will be tonight. You might have heard, we are holding a ball tonight to celebrate the armistice. "

"Yes, I heard about it. Obi-Wan invited me to attend, but I don't think I will. It just doesn't sound very appealing."

"That's right, I should have known he would want you there. It's going to be his first introduction to the public as a member of the Jedi Council. I'm surprised you wouldn't want to attend. Besides being able to see Padme you would be able to bask in the glow of your former master ascending to the Council."

"I was there for his initiation this morning." Anakin did his best to keep his voice even. He didn't want to give away the annoyance he had over it. "That was enough basking for me. And Padme, I'll just try and see her later. I would much rather talk with her alone instead of in the middle of a crowd of people."

"That might be rather difficult," Palpatine explained. "I have some news about her you will probably be hearing about. While the war does appear to be over, the peace treaty still needs to be negotiated. I intend to appoint Padme as an autocrat so she and she alone may negotiate a peace treaty for the Republic that can simply be imposed upon the Senate. I have had my aides putting out word of this so we can start lining up the votes we need to make it happen."

Anakin had to do his best to stay calm, as he couldn't believe that Padme wouldn't have contacted him to let him know about this. "The sole member of the peace negotiations?"

"Yes, it is going to be a pretty hard task, but I know Padme is up to it. She is the only one who understands the galaxy enough to make sure the views of everyone are represented in the negotiated peace. Not only that, I know she is more than astute enough to go head-to-head with Damask in the negotiations."

Up to that point, Anakin hadn't realized that Padme would be negotiating with Damask alone. He was a Dark Side user, likely a Sith. She had no idea what kind of danger she was walking into. Anakin knew he had to do something about it. He just didn't know what. For a moment, he considered telling Palpatine. He quickly thought better of it, as he knew Palpatine would have no idea what to do once he found out Hego Damask was a Sith.

When he was in the middle of trying to contemplate what he should do, he heard Padme's voice in his head. _Don't try and see me again! Now more then ever, we need to keep our relationship a secret. This war is so close to being over. Just a little longer, and we can be together. If you come over again, I won't let you in. _

Anakin didn't know how he was able to do it, but he was able to control his anger and hide his emotions. He didn't want Palpatine to see the fury he was feeling. Padme's refusal to see him was something he couldn't believe. And then, not even telling him she was going to be the one negotiating the peace treaty alone. He couldn't believe she was treating him like this. He was her husband!

"I've just had a change of heart," he said to Palpatine. It took a lot of effort, but he managed to keep his voice even and calm. "I think I will be attending tonight's ball after all."

"Then I hope to see you there. There should be a lot of familiar faces there for you to mingle with. Most of our high-ranking generals and admirals such as Thrawn will be there. I think you'll end up having a good time."

"Let's hope so." Anakin made a slight bow to the chancellor before he turned to leave.

"If I could just say one more thing to you, Anakin." While Anakin heard the voice of Palpatine clearly, he was so anxious to leave that he considered pretending he didn't and continuing on. He had to remind himself this was the chancellor, and he couldn't do something like that. He turned around so Palpatine could tell him what he wanted.

"I wanted to add that personally, I am glad you are attending this ball. If there is anyone who deserves to be there celebrating the war's end, it is you. I have always felt the war would have been lost by the Republic early on if it hadn't been for you. If it was up to me, you would be one of the guests of honor. Your name would be announced, and you would get to enter to a hero's welcome."

"I appreciate the kind words." Anakin did his best to sound humble as he spoke. He remembered all the canned words justifying Jedi anonymity that he was obligated to repeat. "As a Jedi, such accolades are not necessary. We do what we do not for personal reward, or revelry, or adulation. Seeing peace brought to the galaxy is all the reward I need."

"I know all the reasons for Jedi anonymity," Palpatine replied with a smile. "During the war, I always felt holding to Jedi anonymity with you was a serious mistake that cost us victory. First, if the Separatists had known they were up against a Jedi like you, I believe they would have surrendered quickly. Second, when the morale of the Republic citizens started faltering, I know it would have been buoyed by the news of your exploits. We might not have had to end this war prematurely. Our galaxy would not be divided. We would have had victory, and a united galaxy."

Anakin's spirits were buoyed by Palpatine's words. He had told him everything he believed himself. Once again, Jedi humility required him to decline the adulation. "I thank you for your kind words, Chancellor, but I should really be on my way." He turned and hurried out of the office before Palpatine could hold him up once again.

**...**

Once out of the chancellor's sight, he ran at full speed outside and jumped into his spinner. He punched the throttle and headed straight for the Jedi Temple. As he drove, he radioed Obi-Wan and told him he needed to see him right when he returned. His former master agreed to it, without sounding the least bit concerned about the urgency in Anakin's voice.

When he reached the temple, Anakin ran right to Obi-Wan's room. "What did you need to see me about?" he asked.

"There is something I've been keeping from you, something I found out about Hego Damask."

"What is it? And why would you keep anything you knew about him from everyone. We were trying desperately to find him. What you knew might have helped us do so." There was anger in Obi-Wan's voice, but it wasn't anything Anakin hadn't experienced before.

"With what I found out about Damask, it might have made everyone too afraid to go after him. I also refrained from telling anyone because what I think I found out, I can't believe myself. I think Damask might be a Force user. When his ship escaped, I could feel a Dark Side user. I think he might be one of the Sith we are looking for."

Initially, Obi-Wan appeared positively stunned by the news. As he processed what he was told, the look on his face indicated that everything was coming together for him. "We should have known," he said as he shook his head. "We should have known. It all makes sense. We always felt the Sith were behind this war, given we knew that to be true, we should have guessed one of the warlords was a Sith. None of us thought they would be hiding in plain sight like that."

Anakin let out a sigh of relief over the fact Obi-Wan believed him. "I think the council needs to know about this."

"I agree."

"Hego Damask is going to be the lead negotiator for the Separatists at the peace summit," Anakin added. "I just found out Palpatine is looking to appoint Padme as an autocrat so she can be the sole negotiator for the Republic at the peace summit. There is no telling what kind of situation she is going to be walking into. We have to do something to stop her from going."

"Now, that might be hard to do." Anakin did his best to hide his dejection. "I just heard word about Padme's possible appointment. Palpatine is starting to put the word out to see if there is enough support for it. It appears she will have it. Stopping it or keeping Padme, or anyone from attending the summit is going to be difficult, maybe even impossible. Everyone wants this war to end, and they want this summit. I will send word to the Council that we need to meet. Everyone is somewhere attending to business, but we should at least be able to meet before the ball tonight.

**...**

Padme paced around her bedroom, rehearsing a stump speech. She knew many of the people at the ball were going to be asking why she believed she should be appointed autocrat and negotiate the peace herself. She wanted to have some words prepared. While she normally hated stump speeches, as she found them inauthentic, she knew this was one case where it would do some good. She could feel people just wanted a last bit of reassurance from her before they voted. The authenticity of what she said wouldn't matter.

She was so lost in her stump speech, she never noticed when Soala walked in the room. She wasn't expecting her to just walk in, so when Soala laid her hand on her shoulder, she screamed in panic and jumped as high as she could.

"It's just me," Soala said as she rushed away from Padme. She was scared her sister might strike her in fear. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to scare you like that. I really thought you would have noticed me come in."

"You have no reason to apologize," Padme replied. "I was just completely lost in thought. I was preparing what I was going to say tonight when everyone asked why I should be appointed autocrat. I want to make sure I say exactly the right thing."

"I don't think I've ever seen you so nervous about something," Soala said.

"I've never had the responsibility of the entire galaxy on my shoulders like I do now. Or I should say, like I will shortly."

"And that is why you need a moment to take your mind off everything."

"And that is why you're here."

"Yes."

"What did you have in mind?" The concern Padme was feeling came through in her tone of voice.

"Don't worry, it's nothing to be concerned about." Soala giggled as she talked. "Since you got rid of all your servants, I thought you could use someone to help you get ready for the ball tonight. You are going to be the center of attention, and you need to look the part."

"I really don't need any help." Padme shook her head as she wondered just what she could say to Soala to get rid of her. "I've been doing fine without any servants. I'm a grown woman. I can dress myself and do my own hair."

When Soala put her hands on her hips and shook her head, Padme knew she was not going anywhere. "Don't take this the wrong way, but frankly, since you've let go of your servants, your fashion sense has disappeared. I know you said you wanted to simplify your wardrobe, but you've gone way too far. Lately, you've just been going around in these loose-fitting, baggy sacks. Some of them look like curtains you've cut a hole in for your head. This ball tonight is going to be broadcast to the entire galaxy. You need to look your best, and I am going to help you do that."

Before Padme could offer any protests, Soala walked straight for her closet. Padme stayed where she was, as she didn't know what to do. Soala was talking to her from the closet, but she couldn't quite make out what she was saying. When Soala walked out with a dress, she expected Padme to be right there.

"What are you doing? Get over here." Soala was so adamant, Padme couldn't help but comply. She walked over and sat on the edge of the bed. "What do you think of this dress?"

The dress Soala was holding up was form fitting, just like most of the dresses in her closet. Padme knew those were the only kind Soala was going to be picking out.

"Um, that's a little to brightly colored." Padme held her breath as Soala inspected the blood red colored dress she was holding.

"You're right. Tonight calls for something completely white, or completely black. Let's see what you have." Soala disappeared into the closet. Padme held her breath until she emerged with an all-black dress. "What do you think about this? Completely black. No back as it won't exactly hurt to show a little skin. It's got some slits in the bottom."

"I think I might need something a little more elegant," Padme suggested.

After inspecting the dress, Soala agreed with her sister. "You're right," she said as she walked over and threw it on the bed before walking back into the closet. "More elegant. More elegant," she said to herself as she looked around. "Oh, here we go."

Soala walked out with a dress that would have been perfect if things were different. She explained all its features to Padme. "This one is just perfect. It's all white, a couple pieces, but that's what makes it elegant. It's got long gloves, a top you fit over your head and wears like a cape. Why don't you go ahead, try it on, and see how it looks on you." Padme tensed up as Soala laid the dress on top of the other one. She was relieved when Soala headed back into the closet, even though that only gave her a second.

When Soala walked out with another dress to try, and saw Padme was still just sitting on the edge of the bed, she became exasperated. "We aren't going to be able to find out what you look best in if you don't try anything on." Padme stayed on the edge of the bed, unmoving. Soala rolled her eyes before glaring at her sister again. "Stand up and turn around. I'll help you out of it."

Not knowing what else to do, Padme obeyed her sister. She was thankful that her back would be turned to her, at least. "Where did you even find something like this?" Soala asked as she unzipped the back of the dress. "A dress like this has its place, but its something for an older woman. You're much to young to always be wearing sacks like this."

As the dress fell to the floor Padme instinctively wrapped her arms around her stomach. She was in her underwear, but her sister hadn't noticed anything yet. When she took a step around Padme to grab the dress on the bed, she did her best to keep her back turned to her sister.

"Here, try this one on." Soala thrust the dress in front of her.

"I'll never be able to wear it," Padme told her sister. Soala let out a quick groan before speaking.

"And why is that?" Soala was doing best to hide the annoyance she was feeling.

"Because no dress like that is going to fit around this." As she spoke, Padme slowly turned around so Soala could see her protruding stomach. Soala's first reaction was to take several steps back as if she was afraid of it. Padme knew she was really just shocked. Soala looked between Padme and her stomach several times as she processed what she was looking at. When she finally realized what it was, she cupped her hands over her mouth as she looked happier than Padme had ever seen her. When she brought her hands down from her face, she had a huge smile.

"I can't believe it. You're going to have a baby." When Soala said the word baby, Padme started crying. Soala thought they were tears of joy, but she was far off the mark.

"This is wonderful." Soala tentatively walked up to her sister. She held her hands out, wanting to touch her stomach, but not sure if she was allowed to.

"No, it's not wonderful," Padme said. From the expression on Soala's face, she couldn't believe what her sister was saying. "This could give away everything. I need people to trust me, and if they find out about this, and that I've been hiding a marriage for years, they will never trust me."

Instinctively, Soala wrapped her sister in a tight bear hug, careful not to press herself against her stomach, though. "So, you haven't told anyone about this." Padme was so choked up she couldn't speak. She just nodded her head.

"You've been keeping this all to yourself," Soala broke the embrace as she moved back so she could look Padme in the eye. She sympathetically reached out and brushed away some of the tears streaming down her face. "How long have you had to keep this secret?"

"Four months." Soala looked down at Padme's stomach, astounded.

"Four months? Are really just four months along?" Padme did nothing more than nod her head. "With as large as you are, I would have thought you were much farther along."

"I don't know what to say. He's apparently a big baby."

"You said he," Soala pointed out. "How do you know he's a boy?"

"I can feel his presence in the Force. Because of him, I have become Force sensitive myself. It's how I've been able to exert some control over the connection Anakin and I have."

"Have you told him about it yet. He is going to be so thrilled."

"I had planned on doing so when he arrived, but when Palpatine told me I was to negotiate the peace, I changed my mind. This morning, Palpatine told me all the details of what the peace summit are going to be. I'm going to have to go to Geonosis for it."

"Geonosis? That's the home base of the Separatist's droid army. It's their most secure planet."

"I know, it's going to be dangerous for me to go there. Palpatine was able to negotiate for us to control the skies of the planet, but if they were looking to betray me, take me hostage, and use me as leverage, there wouldn't a be a lot to stop them. I know that is what Anakin will be thinking. I can feel he doesn't like this idea. That is without knowing about my pregnancy. If he knew about it, he would do everything he could to stop me from going."

"He wouldn't have to do much, just reveal the truth about your relationship."

"His sense of duty will keep him from doing that as long as he doesn't know about the baby."

"Do you really think you can keep it from him?"

"I just have to do it for a couple days. According to Threepio, he was here, looking for me. I connected with him just long enough to tell him to stay away from here, that we can't have anyone suspecting anything. I think he will honor it."

"What about your connection?"

"As I said, with the control I have in the Force now, I can control the connection. I've kept it from forming over the past couple months. Anakin tried to form it, but I blocked it. I just have to do it for a few more days. Once I'm on Geonosis, Anakin won't dare to do anything even if he found out about the baby."

"I'm not sure about that," Soala said as she smiled, slyly. "If he found out about the baby when you were on Geonosis, he might just pull his one-man army routine and try to get you out of there." Padme shared a laugh with her sister, and it felt good. "I'll do my best to run interference for you," Soala added.

"Good, I think we're going to need it tonight. When I told Anakin not to come near me, I could feel his intentions to attend the ball tonight. I know he is going to try and talk to me, but tonight at least, I will have too many people around me for him to do so. It would help if you could speak to him and answer any questions he might have. If I use you to speak to him, that will placate him just long enough."

"I'll do my best." Soala looked back to the dresses lying on the bed. "We can't put these away now. Please tell me you have at least one gorgeous baggy looking dress."

"I'm afraid they're all plain sacks, as you described them before."

"Then we'll move on to plan B, making your hair and face look so good that no one pays attention to what you are wearing." The two shared a laugh before they went into the bathroom to do just that.

**...**

Anakin was pacing outside the Jedi Council's meeting chambers. They were currently discussing the news he had told them about Hego Damask. When Obi-Wan had told him to wait outside, he had assumed he would be immediately called into the meeting to relate what happened. Instead, it appeared they were fine simply hearing Obi-Wan relay what Anakin had told him. He couldn't believe they wouldn't want to question him or include him in the discussion of what should be done with the information.

Finally, the doors opened. Anakin walked inside.

"Stand before us," he heard Mace Windu, the Jedi Grandmaster say. He walked inside the circle of Jedi masters and stood in the center. Obi-Wan was seated right next to Mace. It was the chair that was occupied by the master Mace selected to lead the discussion for that particular meeting.

"The Council wants to thank you for bringing to our attention what you found out about Hego Damask. While we feel you should have been more forthcoming with this information, we can understand how startling it was to you. You questioned whether it was real, and that caused you to hesitate in telling us about it."

Anakin stayed silent as they explained why he had waited. None of it was true, but their explanation was better than the truth. If they were happy with that, then they could just believe that.

"So, you believe that what I am telling you is true?"

"Yes, we believe that Damask is one of the Sith we are looking for." Anakin had to remain stoic and hide the elation he was feeling. With the Council knowing Damask was a Sith, they were certain to stop the peace negotiations from ever taking place.

"What are we going to do about him?"

"We are going to simply observe him," Obi-Wan answered.

"Observe him?" Anakin couldn't believe what he had just heard. "So, you are just going to do nothing?"

"Damask has a plan for partaking in this peace summit, and we need to know what it is," Mace Windu explained. "He is just one of the Sith lords, there is another, who is likely an individual in a similar position of power. We need to find a way to find his partner. Obi-Wan will be attending the summit as the representative of the Jedi Council. It will be up to him to learn what he can about Damask. Now that we know he is a Sith Lord, we know what to look for."

"So, you are just going to let Padme, I mean Secretary Amidala, walk into the middle of a summit controlled by a Sith Lord. Shouldn't you at least tell her what situation she is walking into, who she will be dealing with. Damask is going to realize we know the truth about him. He is going to be expecting us to be spying on him."

Mace replied to him. "Yes, he is going to be expecting Obi-Wan to be watching him, but he will not expect Padme to know the truth. The Sith see us as secretive and will not expect us to reveal what we know to her."

"And you think it is best to just play into the hands of the Sith? They might very well be setting a trap for us."

"And the best thing for us to do is spring it and be ready to fight them when it comes. Padme can best play her part by being kept in the dark and doing exactly what she needs to negotiate a true peace. When Damask has it, then he will spring his trap, and we will be ready. It will be up to Obi-Wan to discover what it is."

Anakin figured it was best to just play along for the time being. He needed to go to the ball that night with the Council so he could talk to Padme. It was best to just be accepting of their decision. "As Obi-Wan's former apprentice, I probably know better than anyone else here what he is capable of," Anakin said. "If there is anyone who can find out what Hego Damask is truly up to, it is him. I would also like to offer my services to you for hunting down the other Sith, Damask's partner. The sooner he is found, the sooner the public will know the truth of how the galaxy has been manipulated into war. Once everyone realizes the truth, they will willfully lay down their arms."

"That is what we anticipate," Mace replied. "That is why we must take the risk to discover Damask's partner. The galaxy will forever be in danger as long as one Sith is alive. In order for balance to be brought to the Force, they must be completely destroyed."

Anakin arched his eyebrow at Mace's mention of bringing balance to the Force. Only the council was privy to the complete prophecy about the chosen Jedi who would bring balance to the Force. Despite that, most of the knights knew the generalities about it. Millenia ago, a Jedi prophet had declared a chosen one would balance the Force by destroying the Sith once and for all. At one time, Obi-Wan believed Anakin might be that chosen one. By discovering Damask was a Sith, Anakin was starting to fulfill that prophecy. If he could find the other Sith, and kill him, he would have to be acknowledged as the chosen one. Maybe then, he would finally earn the recognition that had been eluding him during the entire war.


	5. Chapter 5: Victory Ball

**Chapter 5: Victory Ball**

The Jedi Council rode over to the Grand Hall of the Republic with the rest of the Jedi Knights that were attending. The Grand Hall was a palace that was only used for events on rare occasions. Palpatine knew the end of the war called for the use of the most opulent palace the Republic had.

When the Jedi disembarked from their transport, they were greeted by several functionaries who had been tasked with showing them around. The functionaries were only interested in working with the Council, however. With the regular knights, they did nothing more then give them directions to the central room where the ball itself was being held. They told them to go out on the floor and start mingling with the rest of the guests. While all the other knights hurried away, Anakin lingered just a little to listen to the instructions the functionaries gave the Council. Each Council member was to be introduced individually. They would wait at the top of the central staircase for their name to be called, then descend to join the crowd on the floor. Floating cameras would be flying around broadcasting everything to the general public. They were to do their best to look joyous and wave to everyone.

Getting disgusted over everything he was hearing, Anakin left to join his fellow knights. He couldn't help but think the festivities the Council were joining in went against all Jedi teachings. They were not supposed to be putting themselves above everybody else. They were supposed to be humble and not bask in glory or adoration. It was like their own code meant nothing to them.

Anakin caught up with the other knights and followed them into the central hall. He couldn't believe how massive it was. If felt like he was in the middle of a sports arena. He looked up at the ceiling, which wasn't very high up, but was ornately decorated with flags and banners. All the important planetary systems and organizations were represented with either a flag or banner. Anakin tried to make them all out, but had trouble seeing through all the cameras that were floating around. He shook his head as he couldn't believe how many were around.

Despite all the cameras floating near the ceiling, there were only a few flying around the guests. As more people streamed in, more cameras came down to capture the growing crowd. Given his height, Anakin was able to see over everyone and make them out. He could still follow all the Jedi mingling around. There were many in the crowd who desperately wanted to speak with a Jedi. Despite that, no one seemed interested in talking with Anakin, and he didn't mind at all. He had a scowl on his face that he knew was scaring everyone away. He wasn't there to mingle or get his face on camera. Not that he wouldn't have minded the recognition, but he had other concerns today. He was here for one reason only, to speak with Padme. It was ridiculous that this was what he had to do to talk to his own wife.

"Excuse me. Excuse me. You there. The tall Jedi." Anakin turned around to stare at a female functionary. "Um, yes, I'm one of the organizers of this event. I'm not sure if you knew this, but we want to present a lively and joyous celebration to the public. Please, mingle, party, be joyous." Anakin kept the scowl on his face to send the message he would do no such thing. The expression on the face of the woman changed as she decided to take a different tact. "You know what, I think we have just the place for you. We need some people to fill out the balcony. Why don't you head up there and socialize."

When Anakin looked up to the balcony, he saw it was sparsely populated, and there were no cameras floating around. It was the perfect place for him. From there, he could follow Padme around once she walked in, then hurry down when it looked like she was alone to talk to.

After making his way to the balcony, Anakin selected a spot in the middle where he could observe the entire floor. Despite the size of the room, he could still see enough to know he would be able to keep an eye on Padme.

"Well, aren't you a tall drink of water." Anakin turned around to see a woman eyeing him. He had to fight to keep from laughing when he saw her. She was likely middle-aged, but through surgery had managed to appear a decade younger. She had to be wearing an extremely tight corset. It was doing its job of making her waist tiny while pushing the fat up to her bosom. Her dress was low cut to show off as much of that part of her body as possible. He couldn't get a very good look at her face, as she was holding an old-fashioned hand fan over it. She slowly lowered it to reveal the mischievous smile she was giving him.

"I didn't think there would be any Jedi up here, all alone. You guys normally like to socialize."

"I'm not exactly like other Jedi," Anakin replied.

"That's what I was hoping." She spoke in a sultry voice as she slithered up to him. "I'm Elayne, by the way."

"Nice to meet you." Anakin forced himself to give her a pleasant smile. "What are you doing up here? You look like you came here to socialize."

"I did, but it was just too much for me down there. I came up here to try and find someone to have a little one-on-one with." Elayne stood to his right and looked down at the people below. "I noticed you scanning the crowd pretty hard. Anyone in particular you're looking for. I know all of the high society here, perhaps I could help you find someone."

While Anakin thought it might be better not to reveal anything, he figured it wouldn't hurt to have some help keeping an eye on Padme. "I'm waiting for Secretary Padme Amidala to arrive. I need to discuss something with her. I'm just trying to scan out who she might talk to once she arrives."

"I think she might talk with Rush Clovis." Elayne leaned over the balcony railing as she scanned the crowd for him.

"Rush Clovis?" Anakin repkied. "I'm not familiar with that name."

"Oh, he's a very handsome young man the same age as the Secretary." Elayne was using a tone of voice that indicated she admired the man for his looks. "He has a very interesting back story. After his father died, he was raised by a Muun family. However, as they became more aligned with the Separatists, he drifted away from them. He learned much about financing and banking from them, and when the war broke out, he offered his services to the Republic. He quickly rose through the ranks, and for the past couple years has been serving as the Chairman of the Republic Reserve. Since Secretary Amidala is the head of procurement, the two have had to work very close together. All of Coruscant has been talking about how their relationship is more than just a working one."

Anakin gripped the railing with all his might to try and control the anger he was feeling. "All of Coruscant? All the times I have been here, I have never heard of any such relationship between the two."

"Gossip like that doesn't make its way over to the Jedi Temple."

"I've worked with Secretary Amidala quite a bit, and I have to say, I haven't gotten the impression she is with Rush Clovis in any way."

Anakin glanced over at Elayne to see the expression of skepticism on her face. "I admit, I've never talked with Secretary Amidala, but I have with Rush, and he is clearly smitten with her." Elayne scanned the floor, looking for the man. Anakin saw a look of recognition come over her face, but it quickly changed to one of disappointment. "Perhaps you're right," she said as she shook her head. "I've spotted Rush, and he is talking to a young woman. She's not Secretary Amidala, but he seems very interested in her."

Anakin smirked as he gloated. He knew his wife would never give people the impression she was interested in any man, even though such an action might have helped deflect scrutiny of her personal life. Elayne seemed to have on overactive imagination, seeing things that weren't there. She was undoubtedly right that Rush was interested in Padme, he knew most men his age would be. There was absolutely no chance Padme would have returned such affection.

"Can you point this Rush Clovis out to me?" he asked Elayne. Anakin probably should have let the matter rest, but his curiosity was getting the better of him.

Elayne leaned into him heavily as she pointed to the floor. She got much closer than she needed, causing Anakin to take a few steps away from her. He was still able to follow her finger. The crowd was so dense he couldn't make out the exact person she was pointing at. He was able to make a good guess when he saw Soala talking to a young man.

"Is Clovis the guy talking to Queen Soala." Anakin emphatically pointed at Soala, even though it was unnecessary.

"I'm not familiar with Soala, but, oh yeah, she does look a lot like Secretary Amidala. I should have noticed it. He's not trying to pick up another woman, he's just talking with his girlfriend's sister."

It took Anakin calling on every Jedi calming technique he knew to hold his anger at bay. He eventually had a laugh, as he remembered why he was actually there. He had thought nothing would take his mind off his need to tell Padme that Hego Damask was a Sith, but the thought she was interested in another guy had done it. He knew there was nothing there, and what anybody thought meant nothing. She was going to be putting herself in a dangerous situation, and he had to keep her from doing so. He was suddenly thankful Elayne had told him what she had, as he would not have found Soala without her help.

"I hate asking this of you, but I would like to talk with Soala, discreetly. Would you mind going down there and extracting her from the crowd for me? I'm afraid I don't have anything to offer you as a trade. If you think of something, please let me know."

A sly, mischievous expression appeared on Elayne's face as she giggled. "I'll do this good deed for you. I just have one question. I don't know your name, and given Jedi rules, I guess you can't give it to me. I don't think I can pull her out of the crowd just saying there is a Jedi needing to talk to her."

"Yes, you can," Anakin replied. "Just tell her there is a very tall Jedi who needs to talk with her. She will know you are referring to me."

"Really?" Elayne eyed him up and down before arching her eyebrows at him. "You really think you're that memorable?"

"I would say he is." Both Anakin and Elayne were startled by the sound of a new voice joining their conversation. They turned to see a very junior looking officer walking towards them. He was standing perfectly straight as he walked. Anakin thought he was trying extra hard to look professional. His youngish looks must have made it hard for people to believe he was an officer, despite the uniform. As he got closer, Anakin could see he had a very thin mustache. It appeared to be something else he had grown to make himself appear older.

"I have had the pleasure of watching this Jedi in action. He is a warrior who has no equal in the galaxy. If it wasn't for Jedi anonymity, I believe the entire galaxy would know his name. The fleet I served on had an extraordinary amount of admiration for him. Everybody felt he was single-handedly winning the war for the Republic. Not knowing his name, we simply called him the tall Jedi. If Queen Soala has had the pleasure of seeing him in action, or even hearing of him in action, she will know who you are referring to."

The words of the young officer appeared to awaken something in Elayne. She licked her lips and swallowed hard as she looked Anakin over once again. He knew she had been interested in him, but now, she appeared to desire him.

"I will do this favor for you, with one request. If you don't get out of Soala what you're looking for, come back up here and find me. With what this man has said, it appears you're owed a great deal of thanks, and I think I am just the woman to give it to you." Elayne ran the tip of her finger along Anakin's chest as she bit her lip. She kept her eyes on him as she took a few steps away, stopped to tilt her head at him, then turned completely around and walked away.

Despite her attempts at subtlety, it was clear what she wanted. Anakin felt the need to set her straight. "I'm not sure if you realize this, but Jedi are not allowed to love."

She stopped and turned her head around to look at Anakin. "I don't remember saying anything about. . .love."

After she was gone, Anakin was left alone with the junior officer. Anakin was expecting there to be a smirk or an expression of amusement on the man's face, but he was stolid. His face was expressionless, just like a good military man's should have been.

"Thank you for helping me get rid of her," Anakin said to the officer. "You look like your up here for security. I hope this didn't take you away from your post."

"Don't worry, it didn't. My post is to watch the hall from up here when the guests of honor are introduced and come down the stairs to join the others." Almost on a perfect cue, the lights of the hall dimmed and brightened. That was the sign everyone was to quiet down as the introductions of the leaders was set to begin.

"Mind if I watch the floor with you?" Anakin asked. "Perhaps my Jedi senses could help identify any potential danger."

"I wouldn't dream of trying to stop you," the officer replied as he walked up to the balcony and stood right next to Anakin. "As I told that woman, I've seen you in action, and know what you can do."

"Where did you see me in action?" Anakin asked.

"Christophsis," the officer replied. Anakin remembered that mission well. It was the last one he had undertaken before he went on the mission to find Damask. It had been one where Thrawn's fleet aided his own.

"So, you're serving in Thrawn's fleet?"

"Yes, I've just joined it recently."

Their conversation ended as a voice came over the loudspeaker declaring it was time to introduce the leaders of the Republic. Anakin had to refrain from shaking his head, as he wasn't sure the leaders deserved any such celebration. If they had achieved victory, that would have been worth celebrating, but they hadn't. The Separatists had won the victory. They had fought the war in order to break away from the Republic and had been successful at it.

With everyone now quiet, the lights dimmed and stayed dim for the introductions. A spotlight shone on the top of the hall's main staircase. Anakin could see several men in military uniforms standing together. They were the generals and admirals being honored for their successful military campaigns. They were a mix of various aliens, and from their silhouettes, Anakin could guess who was there. He had undertaken missions with almost all the major generals and admirals at one time or another and won great victories for all of them. There was a good chance some of them would not even be there getting honored if not for him. Yet, his contributions were going unrecognized.

The military leaders were introduced one at a time. After their name and rank were announced, they descended the stairs to the floor. The spotlight followed them for the entire descent. Anakin smirked with each introduction, as every leader felt the need to load his chest with every medal he had been awarded.

Grand Admiral Thrawn, as the highest-ranking military leader, was the last one to be announced. When the spotlight fell upon him, Anakin laughed as he saw the man was the worst at overloading his chest with medals. There appeared to be multiple layers as medals were pinned to other medals that themselves were pinned on top of medals.

The officer next to him noticed his laugh and took several glances over at him. "Sorry, it's just Thrawn looks positively comical to me. I can't believe he doesn't realize how ridiculous he looks. He's completely overdoing it with all those medals. I know him and it actually isn't like him to do something like this."

"You would be right to say that," the officer answered. "He understands that as an unknown alien, the image he presents will go a long way towards establishing his reputation. He doesn't have a problem with looking ridiculous, as he believes it will cause people to underestimate him."

"And how do you know so much about the Grand Admiral?"

"I'm sorry for not introducing myself earlier," the officer said as he extended a hand to Anakin. "I'm Lieutenant Gilead Palleon, and the reason I know so much about Thrawn is because I just recently started serving as his aide-de-camp."

Anakin winced when he learned how close the officer was to Thrawn. "It looks like I must apologize to you for what I said about your commanding officer," Anakin said as he shook Palleon's hand.

"Think nothing of it," Palleon said. "I think he will be pleased to learn that his ruse was successful in even fooling a Jedi who seems to know him."

Anakin went back to watching the introductions as some of the more powerful and influential senators were introduced. Bail Organa was introduced last, as his dual duty of senator and war council delegate made him the most influential from that group.

After the senators, came the introduction of the Jedi Council. With each introduction, Anakin seethed. They were being introduced one-by-one, soaking in the adulation as their name was read and they walked down the steps to a throe of cheers. Anakin felt what they were doing was a betrayal of the Jedi Code. If called on it, he knew they would answer they were reluctantly doing this out of the need for optics. The public needed to see they agreed with the armistice and the divided peace. He understood that but didn't think individual introductions were required. They could have simply been announced as a group. They just wanted to bask in the glory they denied to the Jedi they led.

Anakin's anger was abated by one moment of levity. As a new member of the council, one just recently added, Obi-Wan's name was unknown. When they announced it, they only gave Obi-Wan as his name. There had apparently been a mistake somewhere, and his last name of Kenobi was dropped. Anakin got a slight laugh over that.

After the Jedi Council, came the War Council. Anakin spotted Padme right away. He kept his eyes on her as every other member of the War Council was announced. He felt a sense of pride that she was being announced last, as she was the most important member of the council. When the light shone on her, he was surprised to see how simply she was dressed. She was wearing a very loose-fitting and plain dress. It was far from her normal style, not that Anakin had a problem with her dressing like that. He always remembered the moment when they first met. He had been invited aboard her ship to see if there was anything in it that would be of value on Tatooine. He had been shown all her elaborate and fancy dresses. He had been surprised that she would bother to stock her panic ship with such dresses, while she had been surprised they were worthless on his planet. It was a moment that served as a key icebreaker for them, and he would never forget it.

Anakin followed Padme as she reached the floor and joined the rest of the War Council. All the leaders who had been announced were still on the floor with their respective groups. After Padme reached the floor and joined the rest of the War Council, everyone waited for Palpatine, the chancellor, to be announced. The voice came over the loudspeaker to announce he had been held up at his office tending to business. It wasn't anything for anyone to be worried about, but it would cause a delay in his arrival. They were to start the festivities without him.

As Anakin looked down at the floor, he noticed that there wasn't much in the way of festivities. Most events like this had a band playing music for dancing, but there wasn't one present. Everyone was just mingling around and talking. Padme appeared to be the most popular of all, as there was a crowd around her fighting to get her attention. He could guess they had heard she was going to be appointed autocrat to negotiate the peace treaty, and wanted to talk to her about that, either to voice their concerns, or to offer their support.

Looking around the edges of the crowd gathered around Padme, Anakin saw Soala there, fighting to simply enter the circle of people. Surprisingly, she wasn't able to do so at all. The Soala he remembered would have pushed her way through the crowd like an angry animal. The Soala he was looking at was meek. Something had apparently domesticated her. He wondered if the decorum required of a queen had taken away her feistiness. Or maybe, like so many others, the weariness of leadership during a time of war had sapped her of her strength.

After making a few attempts to break into the crowd, Soala appeared to give up. She looked defeated as she slumped her shoulders. She continued to eye the crowd, waiting for an easy opening. She stood on her tip-toes a few times as well, as if she was trying to get a look at her sister and see if Padme could fight her way out to her.

She was still on the edge of the crowd around Padme when Elayne walked up to her. Soala appeared interested in what Elayne had to tell her, and took a couple looks up at Anakin. When the two started walking away from Padme, he knew he was going to the get the conversation he desired. He said good-bye to Palleon, telling him the two would probably see each other once again, before descending to the first floor. Elayne and Soala were waiting for him right outside one of the doors to the hall.

"I lived up to my obligation," Elayne let him know when he reached them. "You are under no obligation to repay me, but if you are, seek me out, and you can do a favor for me. Trust me, you won't be disappointed."

The tone of her voice and the expression on her face made it clear what she wanted. Soala recognized it and giggled, although she did her best to lower her face to hide it. Elayne let her sly gaze linger on Anakin as she walked away.

When the two were alone, Soala felt the need to comment. "It looks like you've gained some attention from the opposite sex you shouldn't." Soala was trying to be playful and tease Anakin, but he was not in the mood for any of it.

"You know, I could say the same thing about your sister." Soala appeared confused over what he was trying to say. "That woman, Elayne, she told me all about the gossip going around about Padme and Rush Clovis."

"How can you believe rumors and gossip like that?" Soala sounded incredulous.

"Maybe because you talking to him made it seem like he knew your sister well."

"Okay, he was talking to me to see what Padme's interest might be, which should tell you all you need to know about whether anything was really going on at the time. I set him straight, and he seemed okay ending any pursuit." Soala glanced back into the hall to make sure no one had been eavesdropping on their conversation. "I hope you didn't ask to talk to me just because of that." The anger in her voice was evident.

"No, I talked to you because I need you to relay something to your sister." Anakin glanced around to make sure no one was listening in on their conversation. "Padme needs to know that she will be putting herself in grave danger if she attends this peace summit."

"We know how you feel about this." Soala leaned close to Anakin. She talked in a low tone, but Anakin could still detect the anger. "We knew you wouldn't like Padme being practically alone on the surface of Geonosis." As Soala talked to Anakin, she had to tell herself over and over she needed to be careful not to give away Padme's pregnancy. "The two of you desperately need this war to end, and soon. This is the only way for that to occur. Padme has to take the risk. She may be risking her life, but it is no different than the way you have been risking your life for the past five years." Soala almost tripped over her words, as it was most certainly different. Padme was risking not just her life, but the life of their unborn child.

Amazingly to Soala, Anakin seemed content with what she said. "I've known from the beginning that the only way we would be free and safe to be together was when the war ended. If she is the only one who can do so, then so be it. There is just one thing she needs to know. She needs to understand what she is truly up against." Anakin looked around again to make sure no one could hear them. "When I found Hego Damask on Uatpau, I came very close to catching him. The only reason he got away from me is because someone on his ship, most likely him, used the dark side to knock me down and make me lose the Force grip I had on his ship."

A look of pure terror came over Soala's face as she seemed unable to breathe. She stumbled as she almost seemed to faint. Anakin made a motion to catch her, but she righted herself.

"He used the dark side. Does that mean he's the Sith the Jedi have been looking for?"

"That's definitely what the Council thinks."

"You've told them already, and they're keeping this information to themselves."

"Yes, they don't know what Damask's plan is-"

"How do we know if he even truly wants peace?"

"We don't, and that is why the Jedi want to act like we are still in the dark about who he is. He most likely started this war to have his own nation to rule, and with a negotiated peace, he will have been successful in that endeavor. However, the Sith ultimately seek nothing less than the complete domination of the galaxy. He has a partner, one whose identity the Jedi need to learn. Only then can the Sith be destroyed, and balance returned to the Force."

"So, the Jedi just want Padme to go to this summit in the hopes a Sith Lord will be negotiating in good faith."

"Right now, that is the best choice. Obi-Wan will be there to observe Damask and try to figure out what his plan is. The only way we will learn what his plan might be is to play along and let him reveal it."

Soala moved back as she contemplated what Anakin was telling her. She let out a deep breath as she looked back into the hall, trying to get a glimpse of her sister. "Thank you for telling me this so I can relay this to her. I do fear for her, like you, but right now, we need this peace negotiation. We just have to hope that the Sith will be happy with what they've accomplished so far."

**...**

Anakin walked away from the ball right after speaking with Soala. He had only come here to relay the information he had on Damask to her. He had no desire to stay around and celebrate something that wasn't deserving of a celebration.

Being lost in thought as he walked, Anakin ended up wondering around the palace aimlessly. It wasn't long before he was lost. When he ran into a servant, he simply asked him where the nearest exit was. He figured once he was outside, he could call on a transport to come and pick him up. The servant gave him a rather complicated sense of directions, but he remembered it all. He found the exit was right where he had been told.

He walked through the exit to find Palpatine emerging from the presidential limo. When the chancellor saw him, Anakin felt guilty about leaving the celebration so early. The chancellor offered him a warm smile.

"Master Skywalker, I didn't expect to see you here."

"Um, I was just looking for a quick exit. I'm sorry I came through your personal entrance. And I'm sorry I'm leaving early. It's just, to be honest, I don't really see this divided peace as being something worth celebrating."

Palpatine laughed heartily before he replied. "This isn't exactly my personal entrance, so you don't have to apologize for that. And you don't have to apologize for leaving early because you don't feel like celebrating this divided peace." Palpatine slumped his shoulders as he appeared to lose his spirits. "The truth is I very much agree with your sentiments."

"You do." Anakin couldn't believe what he was hearing. "You are the chancellor. You are the one who made the decision to accept this."

"I think you are confusing chancellor with dictator, Anakin. We live in a democracy, and as such I have to forever keep my pulse on the will of the public and do whatever they want. I sensed that they wanted this war to end, even if it gave the Separatists much of what they wanted, so that was what I did. I can't exactly impose my will, which was to continue until we have victory."

"A man of my own sentiments," Anakin said to the chancellor. Palpatine raised his eyebrows over what Anakin said.

"That is not a very Jedi-like sentiment," Palpatine said. "You better not say that in front of too many other Jedi. You might find yourself kicked out of the Order."

"Don't worry about me," Anakin said as he tried to alleviate Palpatine's apparent fears. "I'm not exactly worried about that."

Palpatine seemed to greatly contemplate what Anakin was telling him. "You know Anakin, the end of the war is going to open up a lot of avenues of opportunities for people such as yourself, as long as you are not afraid of leaving the Jedi behind. You have not grown up with them like the rest, I know it won't be that hard for you. If you would be willing to let me make a case to you, you might see there is a much better life for you away from the Jedi."

For a moment, Anakin felt guilty. He was planning to leave the Jedi, although he had no real idea what he would do once he broke from them. Now that he stood the chance to make his post-Jedi plans, the entire situation felt wrong. He didn't have much choice, though. He needed to leave the Jedi and be with Padme. They needed to have their relationship out in the open so everyone would know she was his. He had to at least hear out Palpatine, see what he could do once he left the Jedi behind.

"If we were to meet and talk about that, we would have to do so discreetly."

"We could do it at my apartment, over dinner. The peace mission is scheduled to leave in two days. The day after that, you could come to my residence. No one pays attention to the guests I see there. It would be perfect."

"That sounds good to me."

"I will send you the details later, discreetly, of course." The two of them made slight bows to each other before heading their separate ways.

**...**

After talking with Anakin, Soala went back into the hall to hover around her sister. She felt dejected that she was failing to keep the wolves at bay, as she promised her sister she would do. It didn't take her long to figure out a way to help Padme. She started initiating conversations with the crowd around her sister, introducing herself and asking what they wanted. She did her best to listen and then promise to relay everything she was told. Almost everyone was happy with that. It was all a lie, but it wasn't like Padme herself was to give their concerns any consideration. She had her own ideas about what she knew needed to be accomplished with the negotiations, and she was going to do it.

As Padme conversed with one person after another, Soala marveled at how she was able to do it. She was staying on her feet, keeping two to three conversations going at once, all while over four months pregnant. As the evening progressed, Soala started getting worried for her sister as she wondered how long her stamina would last. She looked fine, but Soala knew she was adept at hiding things.

To Soala's pleasant surprise, Padme made it through the night without collapsing. The hall was just about cleared out by the time Padme was done speaking with the last person wanting her attention. When Padme was finally finished, she looked at Soala with a smile of relief. Soala walked over and embraced her sister, giving her someone to lean on in case she needed the support. Padme was still feeling strong but was anxious to get home and sleep.

When the two were alone in their spinner, Soala knew it was probably time to reveal to her the information Anakin had told her. She was just about to do it, when she saw how tired her sister looked. She was resting her head on one of the headrests and looked like she was just about to fall asleep. She had managed to stay alert during the celebration, but now that it was over, there was no reason to fight the fatigue. Soala figured she could give her sister one night of peace, and in the morning reveal to her the truth about Damask.

When they reached the apartment, Padme requested Soala's help in getting ready for bed. Given how tired Padme appeared, Soala knew she could use the help. Once they reached Padme's bedroom, Soala helped her sister out of her dress. She couldn't believe it, but Padme's stomach seemed to have gotten considerably bigger in just a few hours. Soala put Padme's dress back in the closet and grabbed a nightgown. It took a minute to find one of the maternity pairs. When she emerged from the closet, she found Padme admiring her pregnant stomach.

"I hope he's not giving you any trouble."

"Not at all. It's just, during the celebration, I felt him moving for the first time. I think he was kicking me. I'm not sure what that's supposed to feel like, but I think that is what it was."

"That's amazing," Soala said. She placed a hand against Padme's stomach, but quickly pulled it away. "I'm sorry. I should have asked permission."

"Don't worry, you can touch it." Soala placed her hand back on Padme's stomach.

"Are you feeling anything at the moment?" Soala asked.

"No, I guess he fell asleep." Padme let out a yawn. "I should probably get to sleep as well." Soala helped her into the nightgown.

"You want to stay with me tonight?" Padme asked as she crawled into bed.

"Um, sure," Soala was surprised by Padme's request after declining the same thing the previous night. She guessed that things were different now that she had revealed her pregnancy to her. Soala stripped down to her underwear then joined her sister under the covers. Just as Soala was about to turn out the lights, Padme sat up abruptly.

"What's wrong!"

"Nothing," Padme said with a smile. "I just felt him again." She moved her hand along her stomach until she seemed to find the spot. Once she had it, she grabbed Soala's hand and placed it there. "Can you feel him?"

"Yes, I can." Soala looked her sister in the eye as she shared in the joy of the moment. All of a sudden, Padme looked confused.

"What is it?" Soala asked.

"This is weird, but I'm having the same feeling in another spot." As she felt around her stomach, Padme appeared scared by what was happening. Keeping the first hand in place, Soala followed Padme's hand, resting hers where her sister was feeling the other sensation.

"What do you feel?"

"The exact same thing," Soala replied. She was scared and confused but laughed out loud when she realized what it meant. Padme stared at her sister with an even more puzzled expression on her face. "Haven't you figured out what's happening, Padme?"

"No, tell me."

"You're having twins! That's why you're so large."

"Twins." Padme fell back against her pillow as she seemed unable to comprehend the news. From the expression on her face, Soala could tell she was worried.

"I hope you're not thinking having twins is going to be too tall of an order for you."

When Padme turned her head to look at Soala, she could see an expression of determination on it. "If these were normal twins, I wouldn't worry at all about having and raising them. The problem is the Jedi Order. These children are going to be powerful in the Force. I've felt one of them, and I am sure the other one will soon show the same presence. The Jedi are going to want them. I know Anakin won't want it, but despite everything he's done for them, I don't think they will listen to him. We may have a fight against the Jedi on our hands." Padme looked away from Soala as the look of determination changed to one of defeat. "It's a fight I'm not sure we're going to win."

The entire time Padme had been talking, Soala was formulating a plan in her mind. "The Jedi won't be able to do anything until they know about them, so we have time to plan and prepare. There's no telling how long the negotiations will last, but they should end well before the twins are born. Once they are over, you and Anakin will be free to be together, and the two of you should not waste a second. Once the negotiations are over, I know everyone will want you to return here to celebrate, but you should do no such thing. Once you leave Geonosis, I want you to come directly to Naboo. Anakin can be sent for, and then everyone can know the truth about you and your pregnancy. If the Jedi try and come for the children, they are going to find trouble. I will protect you and your family, I promise you. And it won't just be me, it will be the entire planet of Naboo. The entire planet loves you, and every citizen will fight the entirety of the Jedi Order if need be."

"Thank you," Padme said as she wiped some tears from her eyes.

Soala wrapped her sister in a tight embrace, allowing Padme to bury her face in her sister's shoulder. "I promise you, as long as I am alive, I will do whatever I can to protect your children." Given the discovery that Padme was having twins, and their discussion about the Jedi trying to take them, Soala completely forgot about having to tell Padme about the real identity of Hego Damask. The two of them went to sleep peacefully, confident that together, they could handle anything thrown their way.


	6. Chapter 6: Departure

**Chapter 6: Departure**

While Anakin had felt dejected when he returned to the Jedi Temple, his spirits changed abruptly when he came across a group of younglings practicing their lightsaber skills. They were running through some simple exercises they had been taught. The exercises consisted of nothing more than waving the lightsaber around and taking a few stabs at the air. They weren't much, the exercises were just designed to let the younglings become accustomed to the weapon.

Standing in the doorway, Anakin took a moment to simply watch them. At first, he was ignored. He didn't mind, as he just wanted to watch them run through their exercises. While he had numerous problems with the adult Jedi, he still had high hopes for the younglings. He had a feeling they were going to experience a tumultuous time. The Jedi had many failings that were coming to the forefront, and the younglings were going to have their work cut out for them to overcome them. He trusted they could do it. The war had caused them to question their leaders in ways previous generations had not. They were going to be walking through fire, but they had the strength and the wherewithal to make it through.

After a while, the younglings he was watching started to take notice of him. They kept glancing over at him, and it messed up their exercises.

"Don't mind me, just continue what you are doing." Anakin did his best to sound friendly instead of authoritative as he spoke.

"Sorry, Master Skywalker," a Mon Calmari youngling said. "We're just a little uncomfortable being watched by you."

"You shouldn't be scared by me, and remember, being watched by an elder Jedi is one of the least scary things you are going to be encountering. It won't be long until all of you are Padawans, and as Padawans, you will be out facing battle. The war may be over, but the Jedi will not be done fighting. More than ever, we will be needed to settle conflicts and keep the peace. You need to be ready to face anything."

"But how do we prepare for that?" one of the human boys asked.

"You fight, for real." Anakin smirked as all the younglings were stunned by what he told them. The Jedi didn't believe in live fire exercises, but Anakin did. "How about this. You guys have sparred before, haven't you?" Nervous, only about half the younglings nodded their heads. "Good, pair up and start sparring."

Repeating an exercise they had done before, the younglings felt confident as they sparred. They moved their lightsabers around slowly, giving their opponents the time to block their attacks.

"A real fight is never going to be like this." Anakin shouted angrily at them as he had seen enough of their play-fighting.

All the younglings eyed each other as they didn't know what to say. Finally, a young Rodian spoke up. "Fight for real, we can't do that."

"Why not?"

"Because we would hurt each other."

"When you go out in the field, you are going to be facing danger. You are going to be facing injury. You are going to be facing death. The Jedi Council fails you by not having you do anything more than run through pointless practices. I wasn't raised a Jedi, I never ran through the practices you do. I learned how to fight, how to utilize the Force by facing death and having to fight or die. That is what you must do. You must risk injury and death here in order to learn to use the Force. It's either do it here, or out in a world that will be much more hostile.

The younglings appeared intrigued by what Anakin was saying. He looked around at them, and his eyes soon fell upon an older human boy who reminded him much about himself. His hair was styled in a mullet, and he had a cocky expression on his face. He knew the boy would revel in fighting him, but it was also apparent he had a certain overconfidence to him. It was something he saw in a lot of the younglings who had never been in a real fight. He was the perfect mark. He knew the boy would be willing to fight him wholeheartedly, and that he needed to be given a reality check.

"Everybody stand against the wall, except you." Anakin pointed at the young boy he wanted to fight. There was little fear as the boy walked to the center of the room to face-off against him. Anakin felt like smirking but kept his face emotionless as he lit his saber and offered the boy a salute. The boy repeated his salute back to him.

"I will let you go ahead and make the first attack." The boy showed not the slightest hint of uncertainty as he thrust his lightsaber right at Anakin. He deflected it with ease. "I thought I told you, we are not sparring," he scowled. "This is for real."

Anakin's words had the desired effect of angering the boy, and he started making one wild attack after another. Anakin deflected each attack with ease, as the boy had no idea what to do. He was proving Anakin right, showing that exercises were no substitute for facing death.

After several of his attacks were easily blocked, the boy started to learn from his failures. His attacks got better, and as they did, Anakin could tell his cockiness was returning. Anakin felt it was time to put him in his place. The boy tried to attack him low, and after blocking that thrust, Anakin took a swing at his head. He knew what he was doing, and merely gave the boy a buzz cut.

The room was filled with the screams and cries as the younglings watching the fight feared Anakin was going to decapitate the boy. The boy himself dropped his lightsaber and jumped back in fear. He couldn't believe he was alive. He patted his singed hair as he looked around at the others.

"I never would have killed you," Anakin said. "What do you think of facing death? It's exhilarating, isn't it. Once you get over the fear, of course."

The boy had been close to hyperventilating, but slowly got himself under control. The cockiness returned to his face as he used the Force to call his lightsaber to him. He activated it and gave Anakin a salute as he wanted to fight Anakin again.

"I think I've done enough," Anakin said. "You guys know what to do. Why doesn't someone else come out here and give the boy a fight?"

The Rodian boy came out and lit his saber. The two went at it. Anakin watched them carefully, ready to intervene in case it looked like they were going to really hurt each other. They didn't appear to be holding back, but they were both adept enough fighters they were blocking each other's attacks. The fight started getting intense, and Anakin considered breaking it up. Before he could make a move, the voice of Obi-Wan bellowed throughout the room.

"What is going on here?" The two fighters immediately dropped their weapons as they turned their attention to Obi-Wan.

"I saw these younglings running through some pointless exercises and thought it would do them some good to engage in some real fighting." Anakin wouldn't have felt the need to explain himself, but he didn't want the younglings to get in trouble.

From the expression on Obi-Wan's face, Anakin could tell he was hiding his real feelings. "They will have more than enough time to fight for real once they are taken on real missions by their Jedi instructors. The Jedi Temple is not for fighting, it is for study, and exercise." He looked around at the younglings to see if there were any objections. "I think all of you have done enough tonight. It is late and you should get to bed. I need to talk with Master Skywalker."

Once the room cleared out, Obi-Wan walked up to Anakin. "I missed you at the celebration tonight."

"I left early." Anakin knew he could have lied, and simply said Obi-Wan must have lost him in the crowd, but he didn't see any point in doing that.

"Can't say I blame you," Obi-Wan said. "It ended up being a rather boring affair. You didn't miss anything there, but you did miss the conversation the Council had on its way back here. I think you would be pleased to learn we came to agree with what you said earlier. We are going to tell Secretary Amidala the truth about the identity of Hego Damask. She needs to know who she is facing off against."

Anakin didn't feel any relief, as he had already done what he needed in order to make sure Padme knew the truth. "I'm am glad you have come around to my way of thinking. After all our time together, I think you would have learned by now I am always right."

"If there was one Jedi attribute, I was never able to instill in you, it was Jedi humility." Obi-Wan shook his head as the talked.

"Frankly, I feel I am humble. I really only take credit for about ten percent of my actual accomplishments. That's humility, isn't it?"

Obi-Wan could only shake his head again as he turned and left.

**...**

Padme and Soala were so in sync they woke at the exact same time. When Padme looked at her console, she saw there was a message for her from the Jedi Council. She played it and found they wanted to meet with her immediately that morning to discuss the upcoming peace summit, as one of the Jedi Council members was set to join her.

Soala had heard the entire message and could feel how tense it made her sister. Instinctively, Padme's hands went right to her stomach. Knowing exactly what Padme was feeling, Soala attempted to calm her.

"I know you're worried about the Jedi discovering them, but they have no reason to suspect anything. They were close to you last night, and they never detected the Force presences of your twins. I don't think it will be any different today."

"Last night the Council members had other things on their minds. They weren't reaching out to sense any unborn children."

"And they won't be doing that when you meet with them," Soala pointed out. "No one suspects you're pregnant. Your wardrobe has been hiding everything. Even I didn't suspect you were pregnant until you showed me, and I even know about you and Anakin. No one else even realizes you are with a man who could make you pregnant."

Padme snickered over that, but the expression of worry quickly returned. "I understand what you're saying, but I'm afraid when I meet with them personally, they are not going to be able to help sensing the children. After all, I've been able to do that, and I'm not even Force sensitive."

"You are their mother, of course you are able to sense them. And even you were only able to sense one of them until last night. That has to mean it is going to be difficult for the Council to sense them, even if they did suspect you were pregnant, which they shouldn't."

To Soala's surprise, Padme's expression changed remarkably, and she appeared overjoyed. "Given that I have to meet with the Council, this actually worries me, but last night, I felt the Force presence of the other twin. I could tell it was a girl."

Soala's face lit up as she shared in her sister's joy. "A girl. That's wonderful. I mean, it would have been wonderful if it was another boy, but a girl, that means you are going to have a perfect pair."

"It's a pair, but I don't know if they will be perfect." Padme was laughing heartily, but her expression quickly changed once again as she thought about the future she was facing. "No matter what they're like, the Jedi are still going to want them."

"We talked about this last night. I assure you, I will do everything I can to make sure you and Anakin get to keep your children. But, you don't have to worry about that now. The Jedi are not going to sense your children. They have no reason to."

"They may try and read my emotional state when I meet with them. If they do that, they are going to sense more than just my presence." Soala had no way to counter that. Padme seemed to put the issue out of her mind quickly as she thought of something. "You know, there can't be that much I need to discuss with the Council. They may be doing nothing more than telling me which one of them will be accompanying me on the mission. I should send them a message, tell them I am extremely busy, and that it would be much more convenient if I could just speak with them through the holo-communicator."

Soala let out a sigh as she realized the reason the Jedi wanted to meet with her, in the privacy and security of the Council chambers. Anakin had jumped the gun the previous night by telling her the truth about Damask. He had done so on his own, without the knowledge and without the permission of the Jedi Council. As much as Soala knew the news would strike fear into Padme, she knew it was better to here it now, from her.

"Padme, I think I know why the Jedi Council wishes to speak with you."

"You do? How?"

"Anakin spoke to me at the ball last night. He had wanted to talk to you, but you were too busy. In his hunt for Hego Damask, he discovered something about him that he thought you needed to know."

"What is it?" Padme seemed thoroughly puzzled.

Before Soala replied, she swallowed hard as she braced herself for Padme's reaction. "Anakin told me the Jedi believe Damask is really a Sith Lord."

To Soala's relief, instead of appearing frightened, Padme simply appeared confused. "A Sith, how does he know this?"

"It was a discovery Anakin made when he almost caught him on Utapau. The only reason he failed was someone used dark side powers against him. It caused him to believe Damask is one of the Sith Lords we have been looking for. He just told the Jedi Council yesterday himself, and they apparently believe the same thing. That must be why the Council wants to see you in the privacy of their chambers. From what Anakin told me, they were not going to reveal the information to you. They want to find out what Damask's plan is, and the identity of his Sith partner. They think they have a better chance if we just play along with whatever their plan is."

"But Damask is going to realize Anakin would have sensed what he did, and that he would tell everyone, and he would know."

"That must be why the Jedi Council has finally decided to reveal the truth to you, but I guess they are still going to want you to play along with whatever Damask has planned. In their minds, they need to find his partner, and that is the only way they are going to do so."

A look of pure terror came over Padme's face as she clutched her stomach. She said nothing as she closed her eyes and started trembling. Soala thought she could even see some tears start to form in her eyes.

Knowing that her sister needed some reassurance, Soala reached out and stroked her arm. "You have nothing to worry about with Damask. Just as with everyone else, he doesn't know you're pregnant, and won't sense the twins. Even if he did, I don't see what he would do with that information. If he is truly a Sith, than he has bigger concerns than your unborn children."

"I hope you're right." Padme groaned as maneuvered out of bed. "Looks like the only thing I can do is take one moment at a time. Let's just try and get me through the Jedi Council meeting. We can worry about Damask later."

**...**

Padme and Soala rode over to the Jedi Temple together, hands clasped as Padme needed the comfort for the moment. While she knew what the Council was going to tell her, she was still a nervous wreck. Going to the Jedi Temple while pregnant with Force sensitive children was like walking into a lion's den. In her mind, she was telling herself she was going to be fine, but then fearing her secret was going to be discovered. She tensed up every time she thought her children were going to be sensed by the Council. Every time that happened, Soala picked up on it and gave her hand a squeeze to help her realize everything was going to be okay.

When their spinner landed in front of the Temple, the younglings that had been waiting for her ran up to it. They dutifully stayed a few feet back as the doors opened.

"You'll be fine, I'm sure of it." Soala gave Padme's hand a final squeeze before letting go. "Call me if you need to talk. I'll be ready to answer at a moment's notice."

"Thank you." When Padme stepped out of the car, the younglings bowed to her before thanking her for coming at the Council's request. They instructed her to follow them. As they walked, the four younglings formed a perimeter around her. Padme found it amusing. They weren't doing it to protect her, but merely to signal to the other Jedi she was here on official business and was not to be approached.

As they walked through the Temple, Padme was astounded by how empty it felt. She was on the war council, and knew most of the Jedi were out fighting, but didn't quite understand just what it meant for the Order. She saw just as many clone troops as she did Jedi. She knew the clones were given the simplistic sentry duty so that the Jedi didn't have to waste their time with it. Besides the clones, she noticed a good number of civilians walking around the temple. Previously, the Jedi had always tended to the upkeep of the Temple themselves, but with the war, such mundane tasks had been entrusted to others. They were allowing outsiders into their Temple in ways they never had before.

The Council chamber was located at the top of the Temple. Padme was simply led to a lift on the ground floor which took her all the way up. When she exited, the younglings told her to wait. One of them disappeared inside the chamber to announce her presence. He returned a minute later, instructing her to go inside.

When Padme first entered the chamber, she did her best to try and take in the magnificence of it. She knew it was a rare honor for a non-Jedi to be asked to meet with the Council in their chamber, and she wanted to commit as much of it as she could to memory.

The Council chamber was so full of columns it was hard to see just how large it was or how it was shaped. She could make out a circle of columns on a raised platform where the Council itself was sitting. She glanced through the columns just to see that the members were up there, in their seats. She quickly looked away again to take in the rest of the room. It was bare of decorations, in keeping with Jedi simplicity, so there wasn't anything to see. The one thing there was to take in was the view of Coruscant. It was a breathtaking view that Padme hadn't seen before in all her time on the planet. She lived in a penthouse, but her view was nothing but other high-rises. The Jedi Temple was out in an area by itself, giving its occupants a wide view of the city.

"You can step up," the youngling said. Padme blushed as she realized she must have been lingering too long. She gave the youngling a smile as she ascended the stairs to the platform. She had managed to calm herself for the meeting but tensed up once again when she saw Anakin standing in the middle of the circle. For a moment, she thought the fact he was there must be a sign their relationship had been discovered and the Council was there to admonish them for it. She quickly remembered that Anakin was likely there to tell her what he had experienced with Damask, as the Council didn't realize she already knew that information. When Anakin turned around, he gave her a smirk. It only lasted a second, but Padme saw it. It was all the communication she needed from him to know everything was okay.

Since Anakin was facing Mace Windu, Padme knew that was who would be addressing her to start. Obi-Wan was sitting right next to him. When she was standing right next to Anakin, the Jedi Grandmaster greeted her.

"Speaking for the entire Council, I wish to thank you for answering our request and coming to meet with us."

"The pleasure is all mine," Padme replied as she made a quick curtsy. "Since civilians are rarely called to meet with the Jedi Council, I understood the seriousness of your request."

"Yes," Mace began. "As you might have guessed, we have brought you here to discuss the upcoming summit to negotiate the peace treaty. I want to begin by stating we have been told you are to be appointed an autocrat to negotiate the peace treaty. It is something we support completely. The archives of the Jedi Council contain our own history of the Republic, so we understand better than anyone the danger of having too much power in the hands of one person. We have no fears about your upcoming appointment, as we realize the power entrusted to you will be limited. Also, the Council has worked with you extensively over the course of the war, and knows you, more than any other person in the galaxy, would never abuse the power given to you."

Mace made a motion in the direction of Obi-Wan. "Master Kenobi told us all about your actions preceding the Battle of Naboo. He told us how all your actions were selfless. Your only concern was your people. You were never concerned with your own power and would have gladly traded the throne if it meant the end of the occupation of your planet. We know you will have the same sentiment in the negotiations with the Separatist warlords."

Mace paused for a moment, giving Padme a chance to respond. "I am glad you made reference to the Battle of Naboo, as I got to know Master Kenobi, and Jedi Knight Skywalker, very well because of it." Padme tensed up for a moment as she wondered if it was a mistake for her to call Anakin by his name. Given the rules of Jedi anonymity, she should not have used it, but since she had met him before he was a Jedi, she figured it shouldn't have raised any eyebrows she acted familiar with him. A quick glance at the faces of the Council members indicated no one thought anything of it, so she continued. "Given the previous relationship I established with Master Kenobi, I requested him as the Jedi Council representative at these negotiations."

"Yes, and we are honoring that request. He will be accompanying you."

"Thank you for respecting my wishes," Padme replied. "I hope you did not call me here just to deal with a matter so mundane." Padme almost visibly winced as she said the wrong thing. She was trying to sound ignorant but overdid it. She sounded like she was complaining about being summoned.

Stoic as ever, the Jedi showed no reaction to what she said. Obi-Wan explained the situation to her. "We called you here because we discovered these negotiations are going to be fraught with more peril than we could have ever imagined. I know back when we were on the run after escaping Naboo, I told you I felt the presence of the Sith. I always believed they were behind the conquest of your planet. The Council has likewise believed they had a hand in this war, but the full extent to just how much has only recently become clear to us. We have information that had led us to conclude Hego Damask is a Sith Lord. As the primary Separatist behind the war, he instigated it to bring the Sith to power."

Before leaving for the meeting, Soala and Padme had discussed what her reaction should be to the revelation. They had determined that confusion and puzzlement was the best route to take. She did her best to fake the expressions, but she wasn't exactly feeling confused or puzzled. While she knew the Council members couldn't read her thoughts, they could read her emotions. She wondered if any of them were doing so and realized her emotions didn't match her expressions.

As none of the Council members seemed concerned with her reactions, she worried less about faking the right ones. She kept her face stoic as she continued to listen to Obi-Wan. "You might have questions about how we know this, and the validity of this information. So, we asked the Jedi who made the discovery here to explain everything."

Before speaking, Anakin made a slight bow to Obi-Wan. When he spoke, he addressed the entire Council instead of just Padme. She kept her attention on him, doing her best not to show the admiration she was feeling for him. It was hard, as she was so proud listening to how he had sought out Hego Damask on his own and almost captured him.

"Do you have any questions for the Jedi?" Padme was so lost in admiration for her husband she almost missed Mace's question.

"No, I do not have any questions for Jedi Knight Skywalker." Padme intentionally used her husband's name. The fact they wouldn't call him by his name perturbed her. She had always thought Anakin was being prideful by not accepting the tenant of Jedi anonymity, but now that she was experiencing what it meant first hand, she had to admit he had a valid point.

"You may leave." It took Padme a second to realize Mace was referring to Anakin and not her. Her husband bowed to the Jedi Grandmaster before walking away.

When Anakin was gone, Obi-Wan spoke. "The Council wishes to be honest with you, and let you know that we did consider keeping you in the dark about this revelation. We knew the Sith would expect us to keep this information to ourselves, and we planned on playing along in order to find out what his plan is, and maybe even the identity of his partner. We have decided the best way to stop his plan is to do the unexpected. We are revealing this information to you so that you may aid me during the mission in my attempts to get to the bottom of the Sith's machinations."

Padme did not care for anything the Jedi told her. She felt it was self-serving. They were admitting to being secretive, then expecting so much crediting for going against type. She made the perfunctory pledge to help them and do what she could. They told her Obi-Wan would do his best to work with her closely, but secrecy was paramount. It was imperative they be the only two to know the truth about Damask. Even Grand Admiral Thrawn was to be kept in the dark. Padme agreed to everything they said before taking her leave with a bow.

**...**

That afternoon, the vote was taken in the Senate, and Padme was named an autocrat with the power to negotiate the peace treaty for the Republic. Everyone knew what she negotiated would be the final treaty, and the Senate would have no say in it. Many of them reveled at the prospect they could not be held responsible by their constituents. Palpatine's reliance on the cowardice of the politicians paid off.

Because the outcome of the vote had been known well in advance, most of the preparations for the diplomatic mission had already been completed. The entourage of aides accompanying Padme had been selected as well as the clone troops traveling with them to provide security. The mission was set to leave the very next morning.

**...**

"I wish I could come with you," Soala said to Padme as they walked through the halls of the spaceport. "I know you could use the confidant there."

"That could never happen," Padme replied. "The presence of you there would be a conflict of interest. Everyone would think you would have my ear and would be angling for terms in the peace treaty that are favorable to Naboo."

The two had turned the last corner. The transport Padme was to take was visible to them in its dock. They stopped so they could finish their conversation. The two faced each other as Soala clasped her sister's hands.

"I want you to know I understand that you can't favor Naboo. Do whatever you need to in order to get the peace treaty done."

"You have nothing to worry about," Padme replied. "No one can argue the vulnerable position Naboo is in. I will do what I can to win assurances that Naboo will never have to worry about revenge being taken upon it." Padme paused as she glanced over to the transport to make sure no one was coming out to fetch her. "Trust me, I need Naboo to be protected once all this is done." Padme gave her sister a sly smile to allude to the things they had talked about before.

"I will return to Naboo right away so I can get the country manor ready for you," Soala replied. "I'll make sure we are ready. The rooms will be fully furnished, with two of everything." The sisters giggled over the secret they were sharing.

"Don't do too much, I am going to want a say in these things. The negotiations should not take that long. I should make it to Naboo with plenty of time to arrange things myself before the appointed time."

Soala glanced over to the ship to see there were two Jedi loitering outside the transport. They were talking to each other but glancing over at the two women from time to time. Soala knew it was about time to wrap up the conversation so Padme could get on the transport. She kept her voice low as she talked. "Please listen, once the negotiations are over, come right to Naboo. You are the autocrat. You should have no problem commandeering your own ship to take you home. Don't let anyone talk you into going to Coruscant. I fear once you return there, one thing after another would come up to keep you from coming home."

"Don't worry about that." Padme glanced over at the two Jedi talking outside the transport. She recognized the visage of her husband. "Once this summit is over, Anakin and I will finally be able to live the life we are due. I am not going to let anything get in the way of that." She took a moment to embrace her sister in private. "I think it's time for me to leave."

The two walked out into the dock and up to Obi-Wan and Anakin, who both bowed to them. Artoo was with them and gave them a friendly series of beeps.

"Thank you for coming out to say good-bye to me, Artoo," Padme said. "With your busy schedule and all the responsibilities, you have, I can imagine it was difficult to make time for this." The droid made a series of beeps that indicated he did not like being teased in such a manner.

"He's actually not here to say good-bye, he is here to accompany you," Anakin said. Padme arched her eyebrows as she was surprised by what she was hearing. "If you remember, after the Battle of Naboo, you gave him to me as a reward for the help I gave you liberating your planet. You realized I was going to need my own personal astromech droid for my Jedi starfighter, and he was exceptional in that role. With the war over, I no longer require his services, so I thought he should return to where he came, in the employ of the Naboo navy." Artoo indicated what he wanted by lowering his third leg and rolling straight towards the landing ramp.

"You know, the way I remember it, we actually made a trade. My astromech droid for your protocol droid. If I take back R2-D2, then I would feel obligated to give back C-3PO."

Padme was expecting a look of dread to come over the face of Anakin, but he remained stoic as he was apparently ready for her rejoinder. "I take it C-3PO is already on the ship?"

"Yes, he is."

"Well then, given how you must leave right now, it looks like there is not going to be any time to find him on the transport and bring him out. I guess you'll just have to give him back to me some other time."

Padme did her best to refrain from laughing and keep her expression serious. "When all this is over, I will make sure I see you again so I can give the droid back to you." For a moment, Padme thought about connecting just long enough to tell him she was going to go directly to Naboo when the summit was over. She refrained, as she figured it was unnecessary, and she didn't want to risk him finding out about the twins. She realized if he knew about them, he would never let her leave to go and meet with a Sith Lord.

"I will be looking forward to your return." Anakin bowed as he said his good-bye. "I know how overjoyed you must be to end this war. You saw it through and have kept your planet free. I hope you will not be a stranger to me with this war over."

Padme felt Anakin was pushing it, as he always did. "I share your sentiments. The end of this war is an open door for everyone in the galaxy. I think the Force has great plans for you, Anakin."

"And I'm sure it has great plans for you, Padme." Anakin made one final bow to her.

Turning her attention away from Anakin, Padme embraced her sister one last time before she boarded the ship with Obi-Wan. Soala and Anakin both stayed to watch the transport ascend into the sky and disappear. Once it was gone, Soala would have loved to talk to Anakin and reveal to him everything they had planned about Padme's return to Naboo and how Anakin would need to join her. There were too many technicians and servants still running around for her to do that. Also, Padme had forbid her from telling Anakin about the twins, and she didn't want to inadvertently let the news slip.

The two said a perfunctory good-bye to each other before Anakin walked away. For a moment, Soala reconsidered risking exposure to tell him he should go to Naboo and wait for Padme. She refrained, as she figured there was no rush to do so. Barring any unforeseen events, there was more than enough time to arrange their reunion once the summit was over.


	7. Chapter 7: Sidious

**Chapter 7: Sidious**

The day after Padme and Obi-Wan left, Anakin flew his speeder out to the personal residence of the chancellor for their pre-arranged meeting. From the moment he assumed the office, Palpatine had declined living in the governor's mansion. He had grown comfortable with the accommodations he had as a senator and decided to stay there.

His decision was especially odd given both the location and the rather modest size of his abode. His aides had tried to tell him that he needed to act like he was chancellor, and not just another citizen. He had countered that in a time of war it was important for him to present himself as just another citizen, living the same kind of lifestyle as his subjects rather than sequestering himself away from them in some governmental palace.

Palpatine's residence was in the middle of an old industrial section of the planet. As Anakin flew out there, he realized how sly the chancellor was by living out here. The industrial area wasn't a very pleasant place to visit, let alone live. While that caused most people to wonder why he would live there at all, Anakin understood the decision. It was an area many people wouldn't want to bother traveling to, meaning that he was free from having to deal with a constant stream of visitors wishing to have the ear of the chancellor. During this time of war, the industrial area would have been especially unpleasant for any protesters seeking to picket the home of the chancellor. In all, Palpatine gave up size and certain comforts in order to have a living situation that maximized the level of peace and quiet he could enjoy.

Anakin parked his speeder right outside Palpatine's residence. Just like with the capital offices, there were just two sentries standing guard outside his house. When he approached them, he wondered if he was going to have the same problems he did with the others. However, they greeted him immediately and told him the chancellor was expecting him. The door slid open for him and then slammed shut again right after he stepped inside.

"Are you here, Chancellor?" he yelled from just inside the front door.

"Back here," came the reply.

Anakin followed the sound of the voice to find Palpatine in his kitchen, standing over a steaming pot. He appeared to be in the middle of cooking soup. Anakin found it interesting that the most powerful man in the galaxy chose to live without servants. He did all his own cooking and cleaning, despite the government being willing to provide him with all the servants he could want. It was a noble sign of humility out of the leader of the Republic.

"I hope you came hungry," Palpatine said to Anakin.

"I can always eat." As the soup was ready, Palpatine scooped some into a bowl and laid it on the table for Anakin. He then pointed out the leaves that were to be crushed and used to garish the soup. After getting his own bowl, he sat at the table across from Anakin.

"I have to tell you, I am mighty impressed that you live simplistically like this," Anakin said. "You could have an army of servants attending to your every need. Instead, you have chosen to remain self-sufficient."

"I have always made my own way in life, and I saw no reason to change when I became chancellor."

"I have learned much about your history," Anakin began. "You are truly a self-made man, and I have come to admire you for all the accomplishments you have made almost single-handedly."

"And I have always admired you for the same," Palpatine said to Anakin.

In response, Anakin snickered as he shook his head. Wanting to look good to the chancellor, Anakin thought it was best to feign humility with him. "I think you must be mistaken about my history. I'm no self-made man. I'm merely a lucky sucker from a backwater planet that got discovered by a Jedi and a queen. Padme and Obi-wan took me away and made me into something."

"They didn't make you into something, you always were something." Palpatine put his utensils down as he seemed angered he had to explain this to Anakin. "From the moment I heard about your history on Tatooine, I knew you were someone special. You freed your friends from slavery, utilizing the Force to do so. You will forever be a hero, a liberator just for that. You didn't need anyone to take you away, give you robes and a lightsaber and declare you a Jedi. You were already more than all those so-called masters who never bothered to live up to their ideals and end slavery."

Palpatine looked uneasy over what he had said. "I'm sorry to say so many bad things about the Order in front of you like that."

"It's okay," Anakin replied. "It doesn't trouble me. I've had many issues ever since joining the Order myself. I don't get offended over any criticism of them."

"And that is why you are considering leaving them." Anakin looked uneasy by what Palpatine said. Palpatine went back to eating his soup for a moment. "There is no reason for us to beat around the bush. You alluded to your desire to leave when we talked at the ball. You came here to see what opportunities I might have for you were you to leave the Jedi Order. I don't think I should have to explain why I am impressed by you. I believe a great destiny awaits you. I just don't think it is a destiny that depends on the Jedi. In fact, I think the Jedi are holding you back when it comes to your power in the Force."

"Holding me back?" Anakin asked. Given that Palpatine was not Force sensitive, he didn't understand how he could say such a thing. He didn't understand Force powers, or the Jedi. "I'll admit I have issues with the Jedi Code and the limits it puts on our actions, but when it comes to the Force, they have taught me to properly channel it in ways I could never do before. My power was raw before I met the Jedi, and they allowed me to harness it in ways I never could before."

Palpatine used his napkin to wipe the corners of his mouth before he spoke. "I know you might believe the Jedi are responsible for teaching you to harness the Force and maximize your potential with it. However, that is not the nature of the Jedi. They have taught you much, I am sure, but their teachings were never designed for you to reach your full potential. They have always sought to control you. They have always sought to limit your power. The truth is, they fear you. They fear your potential, your power. When the council permitted you to join the Order, they had to break almost all their rules to do so. You would not be incorrect in saying they made exceptions for you because of the immense power in the Force you showed. I know you must think they broke the rules because with the war, they believed the galaxy needed you to harness all your power, but nothing could be further from the truth. The truth is, they were scared of you harnessing your power and destroying them. That is the only reason they brought you inside, to control you, to make you a slave to them."

Palpatine's words were unbelievable. He never realized the man had that opinion of the Jedi. In public, he had always attested to being supportive and trusting of them. While Anakin had his problems with the Jedi and their rules, his view was nowhere close to Palpatine's. "You have no knowledge of what you are talking about. Yes, I had the instinctive ability to harness the Force, but that ability is nothing compared to the what the Jedi taught me to do. Under the tutelage of Obi-Wan, I have learned how to do things I could never imagine. Everything I am today, I owe to them."

Mostly ignoring what Anakin just said, Palpatine went ahead with his prepared remarks. "Anakin, you and I are a lot alike. I wasn't born a slave, but I was born to parents so low on the social ladder that we had no options in life. They were unable to find employment as nothing else other than test subjects in a cloning lab."

"A cloning lab? Are you saying you were born on Kamino?" Anakin was astonished that Palpatine was revealing any kind of personal information to him. His past and his background were very much mysteries to the entire galaxy. It seemed astounding that he could rise to the rank of chancellor despite being such a cipher, but such was the nature of the war. The times had been desperate, and any reservations from his unknown background were overlooked in order to get a strong leader in the office who would relentlessly wage war against the Separatists.

"Yes, I was born on Kamino. We always told the story I came to Kamino as an adult in order to hide the lowly status I was born into. My parents and I were test subjects for the Kamino cloners. We weren't clones ourselves, of course. We were merely used by the Kaminoans to try and advance the cloning process. They had been working for several decades on the art of memory transfer into clones. I don't know if you are aware, but from a purely biological standpoint, a clone can be grown in a Sparti cylinder from embryo to adulthood in a matter of months. The only problem with that procedure, is the clone would have the mind of an infant. Clones are taken from their cylinders at infancy, so their brains receive the stimulus they need to develop. That means that even with accelerated growth, it still takes almost ten years for a clone to develop into a fully functional adult. Needless to say, the process could be greatly hastened if cloning technology allowed for the implementation of information into the mind of the clone as it grew in the cloning tank. This is what my family and I were test subjects for. The Kamino scientists were trying to transfer our minds into the minds of their clones. As you might have been able to figure out, this technology doesn't exist, so the experiments were not successful."

"Were these experiments very obtrusive?" Anakin asked.

"Not at first," Palpatine replied. "They started out just trying to transfer the brain information through electrodes. However, there was a point where the scientists wondered if the problem with the transference came from improper extractions. In order to try and improve the extraction of information, they started performing horrid experiments on us. They would drill into our brain to implant probes for collecting information. And they couldn't test just one type of probe, they had to keep experimenting with them, implementing new ones while taking out old ones."

Anakin winced several times as he couldn't help but imagine what those experiments must have been like. "It must have been hard. Being subjected to experiments like that with no ability to fight back and defend yourself."

A smirk appeared on Palpatine's face as he thought back to those times. "When they first started subjecting me to those experiments, I thought as you did. I thought I would forever be at their mercy, and I would have no choice other than to acquiesce to what they wanted of me. That turned out not to be the case. After the first couple of invasive experiments, I came to learn that I possessed certain abilities that allowed me to fight back. These abilities were reflexive and instinctive. I didn't have much control over them, but I didn't need to. Simply lashing out with them whenever they tried to drill into my head was enough to make them avoid attempting any such experiments."

While Palpatine was being coy, Anakin understood exactly what he was trying to elude to. It was unbelievable, though. "Are you trying to tell me you have, or did have at one time, abilities in the Force?" Anakin shook his head as he couldn't believe the question he was asking. "How could you have these abilities without the Jedi here ever knowing. You must have lost them at some point in your life, right? You never learned to harness the power, so you lost it."

"If fortune had not smiled upon me, my abilities might have gone fallow," Palpatine replied. His face brightened as he thought back to what was for him, a joyous time. "I was saved by a man who came to Kamino to examine their cloning abilities. This man possessed a knowledge of the Force and an ability to harness its power far greater than any Jedi who ever lived. He would discover the nascent abilities I possessed and offer to teach me to harness my true potential in the Force. Doing so would lead me to where I am today."

Anakin had always considered himself a strong man, one with the constitution to handle any situation. Hearing Palpatine talk about another Force user made Anakin feel faint, as he came to a horrid realization. He called on the Force to keep himself lucid, but he couldn't help trembling.

"I know what I am saying is shocking you, and apparently, even making you feel ill." Palpatine was very calm as he spoke. To the young man, the voice of Palpatine was soothing and almost hypnotic. "I apologize for doing this to you, but it is imperative you understand the truth about me. More importantly, it is vital you understand the truth about our world. Over the past few years, I have come to understand you Anakin, and I know you are one of the few people who will accept the truth I am about to tell you. I know it will be difficult to believe, but just listen, and be open to what I have to say."

Palpatine's words had the desired effect of calming Anakin. However, once he became calm, instead of listening to the chancellor, he moved to threaten him.

"You're a Sith!" Anakin yelled as he stood. He stood up so quickly that his chair ended up getting pushed back several feet. He pulled out his lightsaber and activated it as he held it out straight in front of him. Given that Palpatine was sitting across the table several feet from Anakin, the lightsaber didn't pose much threat to him. Anakin still felt the need to hold it out in front of him to at least give the impression he was willing to use it.

"I only failed to capture Hego Damask because he used dark side powers against me. Right then, I knew he was a Sith, and the Council agreed with me. We knew he was a Sith, one of the two who was behind the start of this war. We just needed to find his partner. I never thought you would reveal yourself so easily. But now, we know everything. Hego Damask is the Sith master, and you are his apprentice. Together, the two of you manipulated this galaxy into war, and now you will pay the price for all the destruction you have caused."

To Anakin's dismay, Palpatine acted like nothing had happened. He ate another spoonful of his soup calmly before wiping his lips with his napkin. Only when he was done with that, did he look up at Anakin and reply.

"If I may ask, just what do you intend to do with me? Are you going to turn me into the Jedi Council, or are you going to strike me down on the spot?"

"Tell me why I shouldn't strike you down?" While Palpatine's voice had been calm and even, Anakin's conveyed the anger and confusion he was feeling.

"You shouldn't strike me down because while I may be an enemy of the Jedi, I am not an enemy of this Republic," Palpatine's voice remained even as he talked. "Well, I may be an enemy of the Republic, from a certain point of view, but I am certainly not an enemy of this galaxy."

"Not an enemy of this galaxy?" Anakin snickered as he was incredulous over what Palpatine was saying. "You and your master started a war that has torn this entire galaxy apart. If that doesn't make you an enemy of it, I don't know what does."

For a moment, Palpatine looked perturbed by what Anakin said. He took a moment to dab the corners of his mouth with his napkin before speaking. "First off, if we are going to talk about me and my partner, or should I say, former partner, we should get a couple of things straight. The man you know as Hego Damask goes by the Sith name Darth Plagueis. He was my master at one time, taking me on as an apprentice. He introduced me to the teachings of the Sith, instructing me to use the Force, and giving me a new identity as the Sith Lord Darth Sidious."

"So, you learned to utilize the dark side of the Force from him," Anakin interjected.

"That's how the Jedi would describe it." Palpatine snickered as he talked. "To the Sith, there is no light side and dark side. There are only different degrees of power in the Force. What the Jedi consider the dark side of the Force is really just a full utilization of everything the Force has to offer. He introduced me to it, but only introduced me to it. I came to understand the Force in ways that I believe almost no Jedi, no Sith ever has before. While both the Sith, and the Jedi seem to concentrate on power, and the grand abilities they can utilize with the Force , I discovered there is much to be gained from using the Force in even mundane ways. The Sith have always been superior to the Jedi in utilizing the Force to see the currents of events in the galaxy and anticipate the future. It is the primary reason that for a millennium we have remained undiscovered by the Jedi. We have always been one step ahead of them because of our greater foresight."

Palpatine gave Anakin a moment to digest what he had just told him before he continued. When he figured Anakin had contemplated what he said enough, he continued. "The ability of the Force to provide foresight was the one area where I believed I might be able to supersede my master and overtake him. I tried hard to use the Force to see the broad strokes of events so that I might anticipate the future better than my master, but that never seemed to work. However, as I spent more time in the Senate, I began to feel that the broad strokes were not nearly as important as small ones. I began to use the Force to feel and sense everything around me. I came to learn what kinds of people made the decisions for the galaxy, I came to learn what they believed, what they wanted, how they could be manipulated. The Force helped show me how a series of small and almost inconsequential events could be put to together to bring about a larger scale outcome I desired. With this ability, I learned to anticipate events better than my master, and I started to develop a plan on how I might overtake him. He had a plan that he thought would make him supreme ruler of the galaxy, but I came up with a plan to supersede it and make myself the supreme ruler."

"Is that what you've been doing for the past five years?" Anakin was furious. He finally took a few steps around the table to get closer to Palpatine. "This whole war is all part of the plan the you and Plagueis had for conquering the galaxy, isn't it? If it wasn't for the two of you, we would be living in peace."

"On that last point, you could not be more wrong." Palpatine appeared genuinely hurt by Anakin's insinuations. "I know how much the Jedi love to scapegoat the Sith for every problem in the galaxy. The truth is, in my readings of Sith history, my predecessors have loved being scapegoated. It has always served both sides to believe the Sith were this small, but all-powerful menace in the galaxy behind everything that is bad. The truth is, that entire view is nothing more than a myth. With this disastrous war, and our involvement in it, it might appear it can be placed solely at the feet of the Sith, but nothing could be further from the truth. The Republic, the Jedi, even the entire society of our galaxy, have been in the midst of a slow-motion collapse for a long time. My master and I are merely guiding the wave, nothing more. Trust me on this, it is an area where I disagree with my former master greatly. He likes to state over and over that the current situation in the galaxy is the culmination the Grand Plan the Sith have been following ever since the days of Darth Bane, a millenia ago. I believed it too, initially, but soon came to believe the Sith never had the power they tried to claim they did."

For a moment, Palpatine paused to sigh as he appeared to be overcome by heaviness and weariness. "The truth is, I am not sure if I you could even consider me a Sith anymore." From the look on Anakin's face, he couldn't believe what he was hearing. "I know you must think that If I utilize what the Jedi consider the dark side of the Force, then I must be evil. I will admit, when I first joined with Plagueis, I wanted power for all the wrong reasons. I wanted to take revenge against the galaxy for the life I had been born in to, but that was before I saw just what state the galaxy is in. Certainly, you must have seen it yourself. The politicians are cowards, except for one thing, lording their power over those in a lower station. Of course, their stations are completely undeserved. They have all accomplished nothing, other than weaseling into positions of power and authority themselves. The deserve to be taken down. They deserve to find themselves under the thumb of someone who is able to wield real power. Someone who will keep them from destroying the galaxy in the manner they have been doing for the last thousand years."

"And that someone is you?" Palpatine smiled over Anakin's question. He knew Anakin was trying to taunt him, but his tone of voice betrayed him. There was a hint of admiration for Palpatine after hearing how he wanted to straighten out the galaxy.

"Yes, that someone is me, but not me alone. I am going to need partners, and my current one, Plagueis, will not be one of them. If my plane comes to fruition, there will be no divided peace, there will just be one galactic nation under my control. You do not have to worry about Padme or anyone else at the summit, as my plans for taking out Plagueis do not involve her being harmed in any way. In trying to take power, I have not been able to avoid the spilling of blood, but there are elements to this Republic that must be eliminated in order for a new era of peace and strength to begin. And a new era it will be. That is why I asked you here. I did not lie to you about my intentions for inviting you here. You are a remarkable individual who I believe could play an important role in my new order, if you are willing to be open to what I have to offer. I applaud you already for being patient so far and listening to what I have to say. I know what you want Anakin. Your birth and upbringing as a slave taught you lessons about this galaxy that few people understand, but fortunately, I am one of them. Your existence as a slave is one that the Republic would like to deny, as it shows their weakness, failings, and hypocrisy. You wanted a Republic that would save people from having to live like slaves, as you did. You have fought for the Republic believing it can be reformed in the manner you want, but no such thing is possible. The Republic needs to be eliminated and replaced with something much stronger. Something that has the strength to impose its will for justice. Only a strong government headed by me will ever be strong enough to accomplish what you wish. Please, understand that."

With a sigh of heaviness, Anakin deactivated his saber and lowered his arm. He lowered his eyes as well, as he couldn't bring himself to look at Palpatine. While the man had admitted to him to being a Sith, he had trouble seeing him as the enemy he was supposed to. He had just displayed a greater compassion for his life as a slave than almost anyone else in the Republic.

"I think it might be time for you to leave." As Palpatine spoke, he got up and took his dishes to the kitchen area. Anakin found it strange, as he was acting almost too normal.

"Leave, aren't you afraid I am just going to return to the Temple and reveal who you are to the Jedi?"

"No, I am not afraid of that, because I trust you will do no such thing. I can feel the conflict inside you Anakin. You want to like me for who you have learned I am, personally. However, you feel compelled to hate me for who what am. I am a Sith, and you have been led to believe I am the evil opposite of the Jedi. All I am asking you Anakin, is to think hard about everything you have learned about the Jedi. Think hard about everything you know about me. Then, ask yourself, who is most deserving of your trust. Take just one night to think it over. Then come back here, and we will continue this discussion. I will answer any questions you have. The galaxy has the time to wait. My partner, Plagueis, has been instructed to simply draw out the peace negotiations. He has no idea what I truly have planned. Right now, he has no other choice than to go along with what I tell him."

Almost under the spell of the other man, Anakin mindlessly obeyed his command. He walked back to his speeder and drove it up into the sky. The sun was just beginning to set. The work day was over for many, and the traffic lanes were jam packed. Anakin's mind was blank as he entered the traffic, making his way through the mess of vehicles to the Jedi Temple.

It was only when he exited his speeder and walked through the halls of the temple that his mind started working again. Seeing the other Jedi reminded him that he should be talking to them, telling them what he had found out and gathering a force to go and arrest the Sith.

What Palpatine had said was true, though. He couldn't give in to the simplistic thought the Sith were his enemy merely because the Jedi told him so. He had always felt like an outsider in the Order, and it was not just because his background was completely different from every other Jedi. All the other Jedi appeared to accept every tenant of the Code without question, but not Anakin. He had always had a feeling that he was being held back by their teachings. For most of his life, he had been able to call on the Force when he needed it. These were all times where he was fearful or angry. Calling on the Force in such situations had saved him on many occasions. However, when he joined the Jedi, their teachings instructed him to avoid using the Force when he was fearful and angry, as that was calling on the Dark Side of the Force. He had always wondered why the Jedi would have a code that seemed to prevent them from using the Force when it was easiest to call on it and pull power from it. Given what Palpatine had said to him, it seemed he had an answer for that. Anakin was going to have to ask him about it when he spoke to him the next day.

**...**

"I have my entire fleet in position for battle," Thrawn said to Padme through the radio transmission. She and her delegation were on their shuttles. There were three of them, as keeping with the current protocols, all flying down to the surface of Geonosis. "We have control of the entire orbital region of the planet. No one is getting to the surface through us. We are also free to descend to the surface should the situation call for it. I will be monitoring the area around you, and if there is just the slightest hint of danger, I will bring the full weight of my fleet down to protect you. I will also do the same if you order me to. If you notice something that you think indicates the warlords might attack you, give me the prepared signal and I will rush down to rescue you."

When Thrawn had gone over the danger signal with her and her staff, she had felt uneasy over it. She had not said anything as she had no intention of ever using it, and she gave her staff the same instructions. It had shown that Thrawn was almost too distrustful of the Separatists.

"Can I ask you something?" she said over the radio to Thrawn. "Am I allowed to give orders to you?"

"Technically, I am in command of the military detachment, and you are in charge of the diplomatic delegation. That being said, I will do my best to follow your wishes, provided they don't clash with my orders from the chancellor to protect your life and the lives of those with you."

Padme reconsidered what she was going to say to him but went ahead anyway. "If I could give you orders, I would command you to have your forces stand down during this peace summit. I shouldn't have to tell you how important it is. This is our one chance to make peace and bring this war to an end. We cannot afford to have any incidents that end it, and that is what I am afraid will happen if you have your men on alert, looking for the tiniest sign of trouble. Besides that, we need to show the warlords we trust them. They are going to be able to tell you are on alert, and that will make them feel that they have to do the same in case you were to attack."

There was a long silence from Thrawn. Padme knew he was considering what she said, despite the fact he didn't have to. "I have considered your reasoning, and what you say is sound. As a military man, I still don't agree with it. All my training has instilled in me the belief one must always be alert and ready to fight." He didn't say anything for a moment, but Padme could hear the sigh coming from him. "You are the politician, and I will defer to you on this matter. Once your shuttles land safely, I will have all my forces stand down. We will leisurely orbit the planet during your summit. Once again, though, I will reiterate, if you have any sense that you are in danger, radio me, and I will put together a force to come to your rescue as quickly as I can."

Given Damask's status as a Sith Lord, Padme wasn't sure how much good the fleet could do for her if he truly wanted to harm her. She had confidence she would be safe, as she believed he had more elaborate plans than simply harming her or holding her hostage. They needed to discover what his plans were. Thus, they couldn't let any incidents derail the summit.

The light on the control panel went off to indicate Thrawn had cut the communication. Padme was relieved that she was not going to have to deal with the Grand Admiral anymore. Not everyone around her felt that way, though.

"Oh, Mistress Padme, I really wish you would call Grand Admiral Thrawn back and tell him you made a horrible mistake." Threepio was being his usual self, prissy and fearful. "I have reviewed the dossiers on these warlords, and they are just the most horrible people imaginable. The odds of them betraying us are too great to calculate. We need all the protection we can get. I can't understand why you didn't ask Thrawn to send the entire military to escort us."

Threepio's rant was answered by R2-D2. He replied with a series of beeps and raspberries that Padme couldn't translate, although she felt she picked up on the general gist of it. He was telling Threepio they had nothing to worry about, and they didn't need protection.

"And if someone does try something against the Senator, who is going to defend her, you?" Artoo beeped a short reply. "I don't think your electric buzzer is going to provide much protection."

The shuttle pilot flew to the surface before taking it through the mountains. He was following the path the Separatists had sent them. For a moment, Padme forget about all her responsibilities and just enjoyed the wondrous view of nature she was getting. The red rocks of the mountains reflected the sunbeams that hit them, giving the entirety of the air round them the appearance of a red haze. It was a sight unlike any Padme had seen before, and she found it beautiful and calming.

The mountains thinned out as the shuttle entered a valley. A lone peak stood in the middle of the valley, it was the mountain that was to serve as the meeting place for their summit. The pilot circled it a few times as he looked for the landing platform. He spotted it after two turns and landed the shuttle on it.

Padme was looking out the cockpit window the entire time, and saw the small delegation waiting for them. Her eyes immediately found the visage of Hego Damask. He had the tall, thin frame that was typical of the Muun species, making him easy to spot.

All three shuttles landed in a line. Padme was on one with her droids, Obi-Wan another, and the rest of the delegation on a third. All of them descended at roughly the same time and assembled into a single group before they walked ahead to greet the opposing delegation. Padme led the way, flanked by Obi-Wan on one side and her chief of staff for the summit, Sio Bibble, on the other.

The second she could see Hego Damask, she took a good look at him. He was bald, with smooth skin covering his head. His nose was flattened against his face. It made him appear tough, as if he was living with an injury he never cared to fix. As he walked up to greet Padme she could see his eyes were sunken. It was a feature that gave him a menacing look. She strained to keep her eyes on his face as he approached. Given that he was over seven feet tall, she had to tilt her head back to stay focused on him.

When he stopped right in front of her, she had to work hard to keep from wincing. The twins were acting up and causing her pain. She could guess they were disturbed by the dark side presence of the Sith Lord Damask. She hadn't anticipated it, and it scared her. She that they were going to be like this the entire summit. She needed to be alert and focused on her task, and she wasn't going to be able to do that if she was trying to hide the pain she was feeling from her pregnancy. She did her best to push the pain out of her mind for the moment. All she had to do was get through this initial greeting. Once she was alone in her room, she could see if she could do something to soothe their pain.

"Greetings, Senator Amidala. It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to this peace summit. My fellow Separatist leaders wanted me to give you their apologies that they couldn't greet you in person themselves. I assure you they are merely tending to other business. I did not have them killed." Damask smiled to indicate he was just trying to tell a joke and lighten the mood, but no one found it funny. "Perhaps I should have taken my underlings advice and not led with that."

"I appreciate your attempts to lighten the mood," Padme said. "It would serve us well to have some levity in these proceedings." As she spoke, she looked around the rest of the group standing behind Damask. She didn't recognize them, indicating they were people of no importance.

"I was thinking introductions could be done at the first formal meeting. I know Republic dignitaries normally greet each other at the landing platform, but I always believed that was the worst time for such things. You all had a long journey and are probably anxious to see your accommodations. I have brought aides along to show each of you to your rooms. All of you will be staying here. I am residing here also, but the other Separatist leaders are staying elsewhere, just a short shuttle ride from here."

If this had been a real peace summit, Padme would have been furious over the news. She would have wanted to be close to the other warlords to get close to them and freeze out Damask. Given that the summit was likely just a charade for the Sith Lord, she was unfazed. She preferred not having the other warlords around. It meant the Sith Lord was isolated with her and Obi-Wan, giving them a better chance to elucidate what his plan was.

"I appreciate that you are giving us time to rest," Padme said. She clutched her stomach for a moment, hoping that would help calm the twins. She removed her hand quickly, as she didn't want anyone to catch on to what she was doing. "Have your servants show us to our rooms, and we can prepare for the summit."

**...**

Padme was relieved that when she put some distance between herself and Damask, the twins calmed down. She was relieved they were not going to be under a constant state of agitation, but still worried what would happen when she got close to Damask again. She had a couple hours to try and find a way to calm the babies.

Once inside her room, Padme sent Artoo around to scan for spy equipment. When he beeped that he found nothing, she sent him out to stand guard at the door. She wanted to make sure she would be alerted if anyone tried to come and meet with her.

After Threepio helped her unpack, she commanded him to shut down. He obeyed her request. Thankfully, he had not been surprised by it. In her apartment, she had never ahd to shut him down, as she never undressed in front of him in the spacious penthouse. Now, in a much smaller suite, she wanted to make sure he didn't take note of her current state. She was hoping a bath might help calm the twins. She thought it might induce them to fall asleep for the upcoming meeting. Maybe then, they wouldn't be agitated by Damask's dark side presence.

After checking out the bathroom, Padme walked back out to the bedroom to undress. Just as she started to unzip her dress, she heard the sound of tapping on the window. She tensed up as she turned around to see Obi-Wan outside her window. Furious, she ran to the window and opened it. She wanted to yell at him to get lost, but he jumped inside before she could say anything.

"What are you doing?" She couldn't help but raise her voice even though it would have been best to try and speak quietly. He largely ignored her as he walked around, checking out her place. He was waving his hand over everything, using the Force to search for any cameras or listening devices.

"You can't just barge in here like this." Padme was still speaking in a raised voice as she was indignant. "I was just about to undress."

"My apologies." Obi-Wan didn't look up from what he was doing as he spoke. "I will remind you we are in the middle of a situation where the fate of the galaxy is at stake. I think we have more important things to worry about than your modesty."

A growl emitted from Padme as she realized she was just going to have to suffer the indignity. Obi-Wan did have a certain point, and she couldn't exactly admit why she was being so protective of her modesty.

"I think you still owe me an explanation for why you came here. I already had Artoo sweep for bugs, and he didn't find anything."

"Once again, my apologies." Obi-Wan was done with his task and faced Padme. "I have a feeling my door is being watched. Damask knows I am going to be trying to find out what he is up to and will have me under surveillance. You, on the other hand, probably aren't being watched. So, if I want to sneak around, I will have to make my way to your window, then leave through your door."

"You don't think a Sith Lord is going to be able to figure out you would be leaving your room through the window?"

"I did not find any way in which it was under surveillance," Obi-Wan said.

"It could be that whatever Damask has planned, he's confident we won't be able to discover it, no matter how much we sneak around here."

"You're right," Obi-Wan said with a sigh. "The Sith might have plans in place far away from here, that will only reveal themselves when the time is right. Despite knowing Damask is a Sith, we are still very much blind because we have no idea who his partner is and where they might be. It's possible that Damask's role for the moment is to do nothing more than keep our attention diverted while the real plan is unleashed someplace else.

"It looks like we are going to have our work cut out for us, starting with the opening to the summit in a couple hours." Padme figured it was time for Obi-Wan to leave her alone. "Now, if you don't mind, I have a lot to review before the meeting starts.

Before leaving, Obi-Wan bowed and apologized once again before leaving the same way he came in.

**...**

The opening meeting for the summit was completely uneventful, as had been planned. As with most summits, the first meeting was simply a dinner, giving all the delegates assembled a chance to break the ice and get to know each other. With this summit, however, it almost seemed pointless. The attendees were heavily skewed in favor of the warlords, who all knew each other. Padme and Obi-Wan were the only ones who needed introductions to the others. They ended up not being able to talk to anyone but Damask as he seated himself between the two of them.

Despite the situation, dinner was as normal as it could be. Damask, Obi-Wan, and Padme engaged in the normal kind of small talk that dignitaries normally did at said functions. Padme and Obi-Wan listened carefully to everything Damask said, to try and gauge if there was any secret subtext. Neither noticed any.

To Padme's relief, the twins were calm during dinner. They didn't feel asleep to her either. She guessed that Damask's Force presence disturbed them at first but must have been something they become accustomed to.

When dinner was over, Damask offered Padme and Obi-Wan a tour of the droid factory. They didn't understand why he wanted to give them one, but neither felt it wise to turn down any request he made of them. They followed him to a nearby spinner, which simply flew them to the nearest droid factory.

Damask walked them through the factory, explaining to them the assembly process just as any lowly tour guide would. He explained to them how many factories they had on Geonosis producing the exact same number of battle droids. It didn't take long for Padme to realize he was trying to show them the numbers they had when it came to the droid army. He was trying to send her a message that they could continue the war if they didn't get what they wanted in the negotiations. If Padme had believed the negotiations were real, she would have seen it as an astute maneuver. Given that the summit wasn't authentic, she wondered what Damask was trying to do.

A potential answer came when Damask led them past a room at the end of their tour. He explained to them it was a research room, where they designed not just new droids, but entirely new weapons systems. That was all he said before he led them away. For some reason, he was trying to pique their interest that there was something in that room they would find interesting. He was trying to bait them, but for what reason, they didn't know.


	8. Chapter 8: The truth about the Jedi

**Chapter 8: The truth about the Jedi**

As Anakin drove his speeder to Palpatine's residence, there was just one thought running through his head, _I should not be doing this._ He was going to meet with a Sith Lord, in order to talk to him and hear what he had to say about the Force and the nature of the galaxy.

After landing his speeder, Anakin took several deep breaths. He could still turn around and go back. No one knew what he was doing. No one but the guards outside Palpatine's house, who were staring at him. Seeing the guards there instantly changed his mood, and he started laughing. He found it funny that they had no idea who they were actually guarding. That moment of levity gave him the courage to force himself to jump out of the speeder and walk into Palpatine's house. The guards simply nodded as he walked past as they remembered him from the previous day.

When Anakin walked inside, he found Palpatine in the middle of setting the table, for two. He glanced at Anakin but didn't say anything as he turned around to walk to the cooking area itself.

"I hope you like roast duck. I spent most of the afternoon making it." His voice was calm, as if there was no reason their dinner was set to be anything eventful.

"I'm surprised you had the time to do it," Anakin said as he took a seat.

"With the war over I have more time than I know what to do with."

Anakin snickered over that comment. "With everything you supposedly have planned, I would think you would be busier than ever."

After taking the duck out and setting it on the table, Palpatine gave Anakin a look of intrigue. "If you are trying to get a rise out of me by making comments like that, then I would have to say you to not understand me at all."

"I wasn't trying to get a rise out of you," Anakin insisted. "I was just giving you an opening to start explaining to me everything you claimed you were going to do."

"The only opening I needed was for you to simply come here, as you have. I must admit, I half expected you to come here with an army of Jedi. I thought you would arrest me. Instead, you came here to listen to what I have to say. I appreciate the trust you are showing me, and I hope I can give you the answers you seek."

"Since you have been honest with me, I feel obligated to be honest with you. The main reason I didn't come with an army of Jedi is that I fear what would happen if we tried to apprehend you. The Jedi have longed believed the Sith have always had what could be called dead man switches in place in case they were captured. You yourself, just admitted to me yesterday that you have plans in place for taking over the galaxy. Some of these plans might be hard to stop and could lead to unnecessary deaths."

Palpatine seemed amused as he took his seat. "It sounds like you came up with some extensive rationalizations for why you came here instead of turning me over to the Jedi. I must say, this disappoints me, that you are still holding on to the preconceptions of the Sith held by the Jedi. If are you to follow me, then you must leave behind their teachings."

Now, it was Anakin's turn to appear amused. "I appreciate you are stating the truth as to what you want out of me. It occurred to me last night, much later than it should have, that you are asking me to be your apprentice."

"And what led you to that conclusion?" Palpatine asked with a smile.

"I finally put it all together. You said you wanted me to be a part of your new order, and as a Force user, there is only one position I could have in an order run by a Sith. Couple that with the fact you are looking to eliminate your partner, Plagueis, and that leaves an opening for a partner to rule the galaxy with."

"Why are you so sure that I want you as my apprentice?"

"Because you understand me enough to know that is the only position I would accept with you," Anakin replied. It was a reply Palpatine appeared overjoyed with, as he clapped his hands together upon hearing it.

"I wouldn't get too excited, I haven't exactly said I was going to accept anything. I will admit, I have done my best to push aside the preconceived notions I had of the Sith and see you only as the person I have come to know over the past few years. I remember what I thought of you when we first met. I admired your boldness, and your willingness to follow your own path and even push people onto it for the good of the galaxy. I believed then you were exactly the kind of leader the Republic needed, and I still believe that, despite your recent revelations. However, your idea to take things so far as to crush the old order and institute a new one. That is something I would never be able to get behind. It would just be too destructive, especially for the Jedi. I know your plan would involve pushing them aside."

"My plan involves more than just pushing them aside." Palpatine saw no point in trying to lie, as it wouldn't do him any favors in the long run. "The Jedi will never accept a new order with me as the supreme ruler. That would be the case even if they didn't know I was a Sith. Any co-existence between me and them would be impossible. They will have to be eliminated."

Palpatine watched Anakin closely to see his reaction, and he was pleased to find a lack of one. Finding out Palpatine planned to eliminate the Jedi neither shocked nor frightened him. He clearly didn't approve, but Palpatine knew he was close.

"Despite what you say, I believe co-existence is possible. I have been a Jedi for five years, I understand them. They want a galaxy that is ordered, a galaxy that works. With enough time, they will be able to accept what this galaxy needs. I have seen this with the young Jedi, in particular. They have come of age during a time of war and turmoil and are not beholden to any set of ideals. They will be willing to accept you."

"I am afraid you could not be more wrong Anakin. No matter what, the Jedi will have to give up their current level of power, and they will never accept that."

"They will accept that; the Jedi do not seek power."

"Of course, they do, they are just like everyone else in this galaxy."

"No, they are not. I know you told me to set aside the preconceived notions I had of the Sith, and I want you to do the same for the Jedi. Your Sith teachings misled you about the nature of the Jedi just as you believe my Jedi teachings have misled me about the nature of the Sith."

"The Jedi have misconceptions about the Sith because they do not know us. The inverse is not true, however. The Jedi are very public, and this allowed the Sith to observe and study how they truly operate."

"And how do they truly operate?"

"Most of the Jedi operate as slaves for the Jedi Council. It is the Council that is the true beneficiary of the works of the Jedi Knights. The Council has set themselves up as the ultimate source of knowledge in the Force. The truth is, the Jedi Order teaches their knights little about the true nature of the Force. What they did with you is the prime example of this. They only taught you what they did in order to control you. The Jedi have returned you to a state of slavery. When you were a slave, you had that chip your master could activate to kill you any time he wanted. Because of that fear, you were forced to be completely obedient. Now, that you are a Jedi, you have the same level of obedience to the Council. They have used fear to make you obedient. They have filled your mind with fear of the Dark Side and forced you to believe that straying too far from their approved use of the Force will forever cause you to be controlled by the Dark Side. What they did with you is what they do with all their knights. All their teachings are designed to do one thing, keep their knights in line and obedient to them and them alone."

"I want just one thing out of you," Palpatine continued. "Take a look at yourself, and then take a look at me. I am everything the Jedi have been teaching you to despise, teaching you to fear. And yet, how do I truly appear? Do I look to be a hopeless slave to the Dark Side, as the Jedi have taught you? Or, am I a man free to make use of all my power, with no restrictions, nothing holding me back?"

The change in Anakin's demeanor was remarkable. Palpatine knew he had thought about everything he had asked him to, and he had come to an answer. It was the answer Palpatine knew he would come to, the one he foresaw Anakin coming to. It took a lot of willpower for the Sith to avoid showing his glee and elation.

"You looked like you just figured out some answers to the questions I asked," Palpatine continued. "I don't need to know them. Instead, I'll just ask if you have any questions for me."

"I do have one?" Anakin began. "Why would the Jedi Council go through so much trouble to have the large Order they do. Why not have a small Order. The government would give them the same amount of power they have now, and there would be fewer knights they would have to worry about keeping in line."

"They would never have the same amount of power without the thousands of Knights at their disposal." Palpatine almost laughed as he replied. "I can understand you might think their power in the Republic is entrenched, but nothing could be further from the truth. They play a delicate game of using their knights to increase their own power while making sure no one knight ever becomes powerful enough to supplant them. Let me explain to you how the council works. The twelve Jedi who sit on the Council are the ones who hold all the power, they are the writers and enforcers of the Jedi Code, and everything they do is designed to protect their own power. The Code is what controls the Jedi, and it is designed so that the most powerful users stay limited in their abilities. If Force users such as you were ever able to reach your full potential, you would be a threat to the mediocrities who sit on the council."

A realization came to Anakin as he shook his head. "What you are saying to me is much in line with what Obi-Wan said when he sold me on joining the Jedi Order. He told me my abilities needed to be tamed."

Leaning back in his chair, Palpatine appeared intrigued by what Anakin told him. "Tamed? A very interesting word choice. It made the power you were exhibiting seem dangerous, and uncontrolled. The truth is, it was the exact opposite. You were flirting with a level of power that was dangerous, but not to you, or to the rest of the galaxy, only the Jedi Council who use their monopoly on the Force to control others and hold on to their own misbegotten stature."

As Palpatine looked at Anakin, the man looked away from him. Palpatine knew what he was saying was causing him great discomfort. He was having a hard time accepting what he was hearing. Palpatine knew he had his work cut out for him.

"You know, back during the Battle of Naboo, I remember hearing about your exploits on Tatooine. You told everyone stories about how throughout your life you had been able to call on the Dark Side of the Force at times when you were fearful, or angry. All the times you needed it the most."

"Yes, and I was only able to tap into a fraction of what I felt I could."

The grin on Palpatine's face turned into a huge smile as he showed his teeth. "And I bet that feeling of untapped power made you want to join the Jedi. They promised to teach you how to harness the full power of the Force. When they told you that, you undoubtedly thought it meant you were going to tap all that unused potential you knew you had. But things didn't quite work out like that, did they. You learned how to call on it at will, at least by their methods. You had the ability to do the all the tricks the Jedi do, but you always felt you could do more. You could still feel the untapped potential."

Anakin looked down as he took some deep breaths and sighs. Palpatine could sense the turmoil brewing inside of him. "Why would they train me at all?" he blurted out as he looked up at Palpatine. "Obi-Wan could have just left me on Tatooine. Even after the Battle of Naboo, they could have refused to train me. Instead, they gave me training to harness more of my power, even if they didn't let me reach my full potential. If I was such a threat to them, then why not just leave me be. There was no way I could have learned to use the Force at all without their training."

"Why do you believe that?"

"Believe what?"

"Why do you believe that you could never learn to harness the power of the Force on your own?"

Anakin opened his mouth to speak only to discover he didn't have an answer to Palpatine's question. It seemed like something that he should be able to answer easily, but he had nothing to say. "I don't know why I believed that. It's just something everyone knows about the Force. You have to be taught how to harness the Force by a Jedi, that's the only way to learn how to do it. It's not an easy task, learning to use the Force. That's why they take children as infants, because it takes a lifetime to properly learn how to use it."

"The Jedi take children as infants so they can indoctrinate them from the beginning of their lives. It greatly lessens the chance any member will ever ask any serious questions about the rules of the Order and how they operate. You are proof that it doesn't take a lifetime of training to utilize the Force. And what about the Jedi histories. How did the first Jedi learn to use the Force if they had no one to train them."

"Um, I don't know."

"Did you never learn the history of the Jedi?"

"I did learn the history of the Jedi. Obi-Wan had the Jedi librarian, Jocasta Nu, give me a crash course when we were in the Temple for a few weeks. We hit all the main points, but we didn't discuss the origin of the Jedi Order. That happened over a thousand generations ago. It was before the existence of the Republic. Much of that knowledge has been lost."

Palpatine took a moment to laugh to himself. "The Sith are superior to the Jedi in many ways." He paused to reconsider what he said. "We are superior in all ways, really. One of those ways is in the histories we keep. We have all the knowledge about the origins of our order, and how the very first Sith learned to gain their powers. They didn't have anyone to teach them, so they just had to learn how to utilize the Force through trial and error. And the first Sith managed to harness more power than the Jedi ever could. All on his own, because he had no limits placed upon him. That is the danger the Jedi face. That if a strong Force user thought he could learn how to use the Force by himself, he could grow to become more powerful than any of them. That is why they spread the message that only they can teach people how to use the Force. That belief prevented you from learning on your own through trial and error. You are a very smart and astute man. If you had tried to use it on your own, I am sure you could have become more powerful than any Jedi."

"Once again, why did the Jedi train me after the Battle of Naboo." Palpatine almost sighed over Anakin's question. The Jedi had him so messed in the head he was still confused, after Palpatine had carefully laid out the truth for him. "You said they should have been afraid of my potential in the Force. If so, the best thing for them to do would have been to never train me."

"The council needs powerful Jedi to maintain their stature in the eyes of the Senate and the populace. Your exploits have done much to improve the image of the Jedi during the war. Of course, since all Jedi are supposed to act anonymously, you never got the glory yourself. The Council, which does not remain anonymous, gets to soak up all the praise for everything their underlings do. Their underlings perform heroics, and they get most of the glory. Look at Obi-Wan, for example. He gets all the credit for training you. He sits on the council now. He was introduced to the entire galaxy just the other night. And it is all because of what you did."

"Are you saying Obi-Wan knew exactly what he was doing?" Anakin was so troubled by what Palpatine was telling him he felt like was about to be sick. "He was training me just enough to use the Force so I could accomplish things for the Jedi but making sure I was held back enough so that I would never surpass them."

"Obi-Wan didn't know what he was doing. None of them do. I'm not sure how many on the Council ever truly realize what they are doing. That is the beauty of the Code and the way the Order operates. Their Code and teachings limit the abilities of everyone, but the ones with the most potential more than anyone else. Then, like any bureaucracy, they promote those who are the biggest boot-lickers, which are never the most accomplished. You were never any more than a tool to be used by others."

Palpatine took a deep breath as he knew it had to look like what he was about to say next was difficult for him. "I hate to be the one to have to break this to you, but I don't think Obi-Wan is the only one who has exploited you."

The fury in Anakin's eyes was palpable as he stared back at the chancellor. He knew exactly who Palpatine was referring to and what he was trying to say. He would have protested, but the anger he was feeling rendered him speechless.

"Now that you know the truth about me, I can explain many things to you I previously could not. I have worked beside Secretary Amidala for five years, seeing her almost every day. I will admit, she was good at hiding things, but with my abilities I figured out her greatest secret. I was able to sense that she had a Force connection with someone, and that this connection formed because of a great love she shared with a powerful Force user."

The expression on Anakin's face indicated he was truly shocked Palpatine had been able to sense that. "Being a Sith, I possess a greater ability to sense use of the Force in comparison to the Jedi. While they couldn't sense it, I could, although I couldn't be sure who it was with. I could make a good guess it was you, given how you met before the battle of Naboo. My suspicions were confirmed when Padme made a mistake of mentioning something that she only could have learned from being in communication with you."

Anakin leaned back in his chair as his shock dissipated. He looked to be contemplating something. Palpatine went ahead and continued. "I have not been able to sense your connection for the past couple months, so I can guess that recently she started pushing you away. It makes given the war is now ending. After Naboo was liberated, Padme had good reason to fear it would be attacked again by the Separatists as an act of retribution. She desperately needed you to be a Jedi, and keep the Republic from losing, as you did almost all by yourself. Now, with the war ending, Naboo is in the clear, and she no longer needs you fighting for the planet. This should be the moment where the two of you are communicating more than ever in order to plan your life together once the treaty is signed. Instead, you can't see her, you can't send her a message, and the connection the two of you have has disappeared. It can only mean one thing, and-"

Anakin had heard enough. He stood up fast, causing his chair to fly back several feet. "You can talk about the Order all you want, but I will not listen to your lies about my wife."

As Anakin stormed out, Palpatine winced over the fact he might have pushed things too far. He had Anakin believing everything he had been telling him about the Jedi. Trying to tell him the same about Padme had activated his skepticism, but he had no choice. In order for Anakin to join him, he was going to have to get him to turn against both the Jedi and Padme. It was a delicate balance he was trying to reach, but it looked like he was striking it. Just one more push, and Anakin would be where he needed him to be.

He reached out with the Force, trying to sense if Anakin was attempting to connect with Padme. He was fearful he might try and communicate with her through the Force to seek reassurance their relationship was authentic after the doubts Palpatine had placed in his mind. If he sensed Anakin reaching out, he would need to block the connection, just as he had been doing for the past few months.

His communicator beeped to indicate he had an incoming message from Darth Plagueis. Like all his other messages, he ignored it. His partner was getting impatient that he had not made their final move against the Jedi. He had told him earlier he would make his move the moment the summit started, but it was a lie. Plagueis couldn't understand what the hold-up was. If he did, he would never go along with the negotiations. As long as he was in the dark, he would do his part to drag out the negotiations, just as Sidious needed him to.

**...**

Darth Plagueis threw yet another communicator against the wall. Once again, his apprentice was refusing to answer any of his calls. Yet again, he was ruining a perfectly good plan they had in place.

When the droid army of Hego Damask conquered Naboo, the plan was for the young and beautiful Queen Padme Amidala to be killed. Her assassination was to serve as the rallying cry the Republic would need to be drawn into a war with the Separatists. Lacking military forces, the Republic would be unprepared, but Palpatine and his clone army would come to their rescue, and Palpatine's reward would be the chancellorship. The desire for blood and vengeance out of the citizens of the Republic would be strong, and their forces would recklessly attack with everything they had before they were ready. Their defeat by the more prepared Separatist forces would lead them to a quick and unconditional surrender. The Republic would give way to Damask's Federation, with Palpatine being named his second in command in order to facilitate the absorption of the Republic into the Federation.

It caused Plagueis no end of frustration that Palpatine had supplanted his own plan for his. His apprentice had proved to be much shrewder and more underhanded than he could have ever anticipated. He had recruited the man because he knew he would need someone craven and two-faced who could perfectly play the part of a politician. While Palpatine was a master of deception, he never believed the man had it in him to deceive his master. There were times he tried to tell himself he should feel pride for being the instructor of a man who was as resourceful and underhanded as Palpatine was, but he could never summon any such feelings.

While the success Sidious experienced had been caused by superior planning, it frustrated Plagueis the amount of luck that ended up being behind it. Finding Thrawn a few years before the Battle of Naboo proved very serendipitous to Sidious. Plagueis had no idea how much of Palpatine's plan had been developed after he had the tactical genius in his corner. Another bit of luck Sidious benefited from was the discovery of Anakin Skywalker. Plagueis knew without him, victory in the Battle of Naboo would have never occurred. The Clone Wars would have gone very differently if the powerful Force user had never been discovered. Plagueis always wondered if Sidious had foreseen the emergence of the man, but found it impossible his apprentice could have foreseen something like that while he failed to.

There were so many events that could have gone differently that it angered Plagueis he wasn't going to rule the entire galaxy like he planned. The divided galaxy would be a good start, though, and he now had his own plans in place to defeat his former apprentice and rule the entire galaxy, as he always wanted.

He was so lost in his thoughts, he almost missed the buzzer indicating someone was at his door. It was Secretary Amidala. At the end of that day's negotiation session, she had requested a private meeting with him. He knew the real purpose behind it, to keep him occupied while Obi-Wan broke into the droid factory he had shown them. He had whetted their appetite by pointing out important research was taking place there, and he knew they would take the bait. Secretary Amidala was playing her part, and he knew Obi-Wan would be playing his. Since there was no point in rushing, he got up and walked leisurely to the door to greet the woman.

**...**

Anakin walked through the Jedi Temple in a fog. He passed a few other Jedi as well as a few clone troops. If any of them tried to greet him, he didn't notice.

He knew his way through the Temple well enough he could find his quarters while operating on auto-pilot. Because of Jedi simplicity, knights were given little more personal space than a room big enough to hold a single bed. For once, he didn't mind, as the bed was all he needed.

Once inside his quarters, he took off his robe before sitting cross-legged on the bed. He was going to try a simple exercise he had not felt the need to do in over five years. When he had first met Obi-Wan, the Jedi had done everything he could to get him to try and turn away from the using the Dark Side. He had told him embracing the Light would be better for channeling it and instructed him in an exercise where he simply reached out with the Force and tried to feel as many living beings as he could. Now, Anakin wanted to test which side was more powerful. He had spent five years suppressing the Dark Side and knew what following the light had allowed him to do. He wanted to give the Dark Side a chance again.

**...**

Plagueis hardly listened to Padme as she talked. He didn't listen, because he knew she wasn't telling him anything that was true, or important. This entire discussion was just a distraction.

She had cooked up an elaborate cover story for why she had requested the meeting. She had started by telling him she knew the reason he had shown them the factory; he was trying to intimidate them by showing them the strength the Separatists still possessed. She, in turn, thought he should understand the strength the Republic possessed.

Playing along, Plagueis reminded her that the Republic didn't possess much in the way of strength, as its citizens were just about ready to revolt. He sat back and did his best to listen to her answer. She tried to tell him the Republic was on the verge of a breakthrough that would allow them to produce more clones than ever. Currently, clones were grown in their Sparti cylinder to toddler age, then allowed to grow outside of them. The whole process took ten years to get an adult soldier, even though a human clone could be grown to adulthood in a matter of months in its cylinder. It was only the development of the mind that required the ten-year process.

Padme was trying to tell him the Republic had just developed the technology for transmitting memories and other information into the brains of clones. Plagueis did his best to make it seem he believed her, even though he knew it was all a lie. He had looked into the possibility of such a thing when he had met Sidious and set-up the creation of the clone army. It was almost impossible to do. At the very least, it was not something that would have been figured out over the last couple decades.

While listening to Secretary Amidala, Plagueis felt a disturbance in the Force. What he felt was not just any disturbance, but a Dark Side disturbance. There was someone reaching out with the Dark Side, and it was not Sidious. Whoever was doing so was doing it hesitantly, and clumsily. There was someone channeling the Dark Side for either the first time in their life, or the first time in a long time. He almost smirked as he realized what was happening, Sidious was trying to turn someone to the Dark Side, and he was ever so close. This is why he had been delaying his move against the Jedi, he didn't want to do anything until he had this person turned. For Plagueis, there were no illusions as to what Sidious was doing, he was taking on a new apprentice. And with this new apprentice, there would be no divided galaxy. Sidious would be coming for him.

With this knowledge now in hand, Plagueis wanted to push Padme out the door so he could form a plan to counter the latest move by his former apprentice. He had to refrain, as he didn't want her to suspect anything. He paid greater attention to her, and he noticed that she seemed to be uncomfortable about something. She seemed flustered as she fumbled over her words. Curious, he reached out with the Force to see what might be wrong with her and was shocked by what he discovered. She was sensing the same disturbance he was. It shocked him, as he knew she wasn't Force sensitive. Trying to figure out how she was doing it, he probed her with the Force, and realized she was feeling the disturbance because she had a personal connection with the person causing it. He didn't know much about Padme, but he knew there was only one Force-user she would have a connection with. It was the man she discovered on Tatooine, the Jedi who had done so much to upset his best laid plans. If Sidious could turn Skywalker, that would certainly give him one hell of a weapon to use against him.

**...**

Padme walked through the halls taking one deep breath after another. Right in the middle of her meeting with Hego Damask, she had felt a coldness the likes of which she had never felt before. It was coming through the Force, and it was coming from someplace distant. She knew it was coming from Anakin. He was angered, in pain, and going down a path that seemed dangerous.

The disturbance she had felt was different from the connection they had been sharing for the last five years. She had tried to connect with Anakin, so she could find out exactly what was happening. Despite her best efforts, something was blocking it. She had only been able to make a half-hearted attempt while talking to Plagueis, but she hoped that with some privacy she would be able to break through whatever was blocking their connection.

"Greetings, Secretary Amidala." Padme was so lost in thought she barely heard Threepio's greeting when she walked into her suite. She truly felt bad about it, so she did her best to sound grateful as she looked up at him and thanked him. The expression on her face quickly changed to one of anger when she saw Obi-Wan standing in her bedroom. He wasn't paying her any attention. Instead, he was focused on a holo-imager in his hand. Padme couldn't tell what he was looking at it, it seemed to be nothing more than a ball. As she walked up to him, she did her best to push aside her anger. Part of her anger came not just from the violation of her privacy and personal space, but the fact he was in her suite and didn't feel the need to bother to greet her and explain himself. She remembered what Obi-Wan had said the last time he broke in, and he was correct, at least to some extent. Her privacy was a low priority considering everything, but that didn't mean he had to completely ignore it to the extent that he was.

"Did you find what you were looking for?" she asked when she reached him.

"I found something." Obi-Wan turned around so Padme could see what the holo-imager was projecting. She could see the sphere it was projecting was a space station, with an odd indentation in the upper hemisphere.

"Is that supposed to be a space station?

"Not just a space station, but a weapon." Obi-Wan sounded outright fearful as he talked.

"Are the Separatists building this?" Padme's voice adopted the fearful tone of Obi-Wan.

"No, they just have plans, nothing more, from what I was able to find out."

"What's that indentation in it?"

"From what I could ascertain, it's for a laser, one that would be powerful enough to destroy an entire planet."

"Thank the Force they're not building it, yet." A thought suddenly occurred to Padme. "Do you know if they have plans to build it? Is that Damask's plan. Once peace is in place, he's going to divert his resources to build that station, then when the next war comes, he'll possess the most powerful weapon in the galaxy."

"That could be his plan." Obi-Wan turned off the imager. "Given everything that happened, it's clear he wanted me to find this. But to what end, I don't know. There was one other important piece of information I was able to extract along with these plans. They shared these plans with someone, according to the transmission logs."

"Were you able to tell who they shared it with?" Padme asked.

"The only information I have was the destination of the message, Kamino. Who it was shared with there, I have no idea."

"Kamino?" Padme instantly realized the implications of the information. "The home planet of Chancellor Palpatine. It would appear Plagueis is trying to make us distrustful of him."

"Yes, that is the obvious implication," Obi-Wan replied.

"It's clear he's playing mind games with us, but why?" Padme said. "Does he want these negotiations to succeed? Does he want them to fail?"

"Or, does he just want to make us more cautious so that we draw them out." Obi-Wan sighed as he didn't know what to make out of his discovery. "It appears that we haven't discovered anything. We are still going to have to watch Damask closely and see what moves he makes."

"And if we are going to do that, we will have to be alert, which means we are going to need to be well rested." Padme was hoping that by being subtle, she could nudge Obi-Wan to leave without protest.

"Oh, yes, you are right," Obi-Wan said. "We should both get some rest to be alert for tomorrow. I will leave you alone for the night. Have a good sleep." While Padme felt it was unnecessary, Obi-Wan left through the window. She watched him to make sure he made it back to his room without incident, then pulled it shut and covered it with the shade so she would have maximum privacy.

"Do you require any assistance in preparing yourself for bed, Mistress Padme?" Threepio asked.

"Shut down, Threepio," she shouted in anger. Thankfully, the droid obeyed without question. Completely alone, she sat on the bed cross-legged, even though she had difficulty doing so in her current state. She knew there probably wasn't point in doing so, but she had never tried to reach out with the Force before, and knew the Jedi sat cross-legged when they meditated, so she figured she might as well do it too.

She was no longer feeling the coldness and turmoil she had earlier. Whatever Anakin had been doing, or experiencing, it was over now. She saw that as a good sign. Hopefully, he would be calm and collected at the moment, and maybe that would help them connect. She did her best to calm herself as she tried to reach out with the Force and find Anakin. She got the slightest glimmer of a sensation, but nothing more than that.

Dejected, she was just about ready to give up when a thought occurred to her. She took a deep breath as she massaged her stomach. "I hope the two of you are awake and listening, because I have a huge favor to ask of you. I know both of you are strong in the Force, and right now, I need to make use of that. I need you to find a way to either lend me your Force power, or channel it yourself and reach out for your father. I don't know what is happening with him right now, but I can feel he is in turmoil. The two of us have a special connection, and if I can form it, I can help him. I know it."

Padme knew she might have just been imagining things, but she felt the twins understood what she said and were responding. She could feel their presences in the Force intensify. She tried to control it and reach out with it. While she could feel something happening, whatever it was, it wasn't enough for her to connect with Anakin. Terror came over her as she was overcome with hopelessness. She needed to know what was happening with Anakin. Bounding off the bed, she ran to the communicator to send a message to him. She caught herself in time, as she realized how bad of an idea that would be. Sending Anakin a message that could be intercepted and expose their relationship would be disastrous. It could cause Padme to be called back to Coruscant, ending the summit. While the peace treaty seemed inconsequential, they couldn't lose the opportunity to find out what Damask was up to. Whatever Anakin was going through, he was going to have to deal with it himself.


	9. Chapter 9: The Turning

**Chapter 9: The Turning**

Anakin sat in his speeder for a long time outside of the Capital Offices. The place was almost completely dark, the lone light coming from Palpatine's office window. Earlier that day, the chancellor had sent him a message that if he was willing to meet with him, he should come by his office. He would be working late into the night.

When Anakin walked up to the soldiers manning the outside entrance, they remembered him and let him right through. The halls of the capital building had an eerie feeling to them. He was feeling a certain paranoia as he walked through them. There were several moments where he stopped and reached out with the Force to make sure he was alone. He thought he was feeling the Force presences of others, they were weak, and distant, but he was feeling something. He ended up telling himself his nerves were just getting to him as he continued on his way to Palpatine's office.

**...**

Hego Damask walked around the room, doing his best to work the crowd. Earlier that morning, he had suggested to Secretary Amidala they should hold a reception that night. There was much bickering during the negotiations among all the warlords, and Damask figured a social event might help break the tensions that had arisen. Those were the reasons he had given Amidala, at least. The truth was, he wanted to observe the Secretary in a setting where she was more unguarded. She had a connection to Anakin Skywalker, he had figured it out the previous night. That was the man Sidious had told him ruined all his plans on Naboo. He and Padme must have formed a relationship then and continued it in secret. Skywalker was the one flirting with the Dark Side, he was the one Sidious was trying to turn, and if he could do so, Plagueis knew he would be facing one hell of a challenge.

When the reception started, Damask sought to avoid Amidala. He had some personal questions he wanted to ask her, but he didn't want her to think he had set-up this reception just for that. He talked to some of the other Separatist warlords. All the conversations were unpleasant. They all tried to tell him getting everyone to agree on a treaty was actually easy, but he was the one making it hard. What they were saying was true, but he was still surprised they blamed him for it. All the other warlords had aides on his payroll who were whispering in their ears they should be holding out for more. The warlords weren't quite listening to them, forcing Damask to speak up and remind them of what they could get. He thought he was acting with the proper subtlety, but the other warlords saw right through it. He was doing his best to placate them, but he knew he was likely close to a revolt from them. He hoped it wouldn't be too much longer until he could eradicate them, he just needed the signal from Sidious. It pained him to no end how dependent he was on his former apprentice, especially when the man was working to betray him, but he had no choice. Sidious's Republic had the upper hand, and he had to follow his lead, even if he was looking to eventually betray his former apprentice himself.

As the other warlords talked to him, he did his best not to listen. Instead, he eyed Secretary Amidala, who was surrounded by the entourage she arrived with. The Jedi, Obi-Wan, was at the other end of the room, to Damask's surprise. He was happy about that, as he needed to talk to Padme without him around.

Padme's entourage started out serving as a screen between her and the warlords. However, as it appeared the other Separatists were willing to have pleasant conversations with her, they started to disperse. It wouldn't be long before he would be able to go and talk to her alone, as he needed.

**...**

When Anakin reached the chancellor's office, he saw the door was open. Palpatine was at his desk, working on something. Tentatively, Anakin walked in and stood before him, waiting to be acknowledged.

"Thank you for answering my request and coming to meet with me," Palpatine said as he looked up at him. "When we talked, you said you had something to tell me. So, what is it?"

"I am here to tell you that I have made the decision to have the Jedi arrest you." Anakin paused as he was expecting Palpatine to have a significant reaction. To his surprise, there was no change in the man, not even in his Force presence. It was as if Anakin had told him the most innocuous thing in the world. He was so stunned by the lack of reaction that he was rendered speechless.

"Perhaps you would mind explaining to me your reasoning," Palpatine said. "I believe I should be able to request that much."

"Okay." Anakin's mouth was dry and he had to lick his lips before he could continue. "The truth is, I have come to realize following you would be disastrous."

"When you say disastrous, do you mean for just you, or for the entire galaxy?" Palpatine asked.

"Both, really." Anakin was much more assertive in his speech as he seemed to be gaining confidence in the decision he had made.

"Would you mind elaborating?" Palpatine said. "During our most recent conversations you appeared quite open to the possibility that I was just the kind of person that both you, and the galaxy needed."

"It's clear the Republic needs to be reformed. A complete transformation, along the lines of what you are proposing, would be too tumultuous for the nation to handle. The instability it would cause would be immense, it would never last, and everyone would only be worse off in the end. The Republic can change. The Jedi can change. I have no doubt in that. The Republic can be the democracy it was always meant to be. With the Jedi in the role of service to the government they were always meant to have."

To Palpatine, Anakin was giving a simple, rote answer. There was hardly any emotion behind what he was saying. He knew Anakin didn't really believe what he was telling him. He was just saying what sounded like the right answer. Palpatine knew the real reason he was refusing to join him was because he believed doing so would have been worse for him personally.

"And what about yourself?" Palpatine decided to bring the subject up to test his proposition. "Do you believe continuing to serve the Jedi, continuing to serve the Republic is best for you. I don't see how that can be, given that you will never be able to be a Jedi if your relationship with Padme is out in the open. You will have to choose between being a Jedi and serving the Republic or being a husband and living openly with Padme."

"That is where you could not be more wrong." Anakin smirked as he spoke. "I am not so sure that the Jedi will be so willing to toss me aside. I am the one who discovered and revealed to them that Hego Damask was really a Sith. Now, I am going to be the one to reveal to them that you are his Sith partner. With that, I will have proven myself to be the prophesied chosen One, the Jedi who brings balance to the Force by destroying the wielders of the Dark Side. I will be a hero not just to the Jedi Order, but to the entire Republic. Whether or not they want me in the Order won't even matter, though, for I have grown beyond them. I will forge a new Order of Force users. One based around the lessons of what I have discovered and will discover about the Force. Just because I no longer see fit to follow the Jedi Code and the Jedi Council does not mean I have to follow you. You are nothing more than a weak politician soon to be arrested and executed for treason. I am set to be the most powerful Force user in the galaxy, and with my wife by my side, there is no limit to what I can achieve."

Palpatine had to work hard to suppress the elation he was feeling. While talking about the new life he was to set for himself, there was a sense of joy and confidence in his tone. His very words betrayed what he said earlier. He did not care for the Jedi, nor the Republic. He had only served them as a way to raise his own stature. He had been born a slave, and even after being freed, he had desperately sought to prove to himself and the rest of the world he was so much more. Even his relationship with Padme was part of that. He really loved her, Palpatine could sense it. But to Anakin, their love was secondary. First and foremost, she was a prize he had won through his heroism. A royal he had married to give himself the exalted position he so desperately craved. Anakin was a deeply selfish man, and all Palpatine had to do was play on that. The Jedi would eventually find his way to embracing the Dark Side and following him.

"I know this is going to be tough to hear, but what you are saying will never come to pass," Palpatine told him. Anakin smirked over Palpatine's words, as the Sith knew he would. The man was overconfident, believing he knew so much more than everyone else. "There is very much you are wrong about, as you will soon learn if you hand me over to the Jedi and pursue the course of action you just described to me. As I have been trying to tell you by explaining the truth about the Jedi Council, many weak people occupy positions of power and authority in our nation. Their positions are precarious, given their weak natures, and as much as they try to tell themselves otherwise, they know it. Because of that, they greatly fear anyone of power who might easily toss them aside because of their weaknesses. That is the real reason the Jedi fear the Sith so much, and it is the reason they will fear you. You are too powerful. And it will not just be the Jedi. The entire government of the Republic will fear and hate you."

Palpatine paused as he knew Anakin was anticipating what he was about to say next. He wanted the man to stew on it just a little. "Even Padme will fear you. She is very much a creature of the current power structure. She has spent her entire life living in it and defending it. She will never turn away from it. She will never follow you if you turn away from the Jedi, from the Light Side of the Force, and seek to forge your own path. She will fear you just as much as any politician who doesn't know you." Palpatine did his best to act emotional as he continued. "I know how much you want me to be wrong. I know how much it must pain you. I would not be saying this if it wasn't an uncomfortable truth you need to accept. The rest of the galaxy is weak, and they will never follow nor accept you."

During his speech, Palpatine could feel what was going on inside Anakin. The man was taking his words to heart and getting angry over what he was hearing. With the anger, his instincts were kicking in, and making him reach for the dark side as they had so many times in the past. Palpatine's mention of Padme had caused him to try and reach out to her. He was blocking it, as he had so many times before, but this time, he allowed just a slight, one-way channel to form so that his wife might feel the turmoil engulfing her husband.

As the anger overcame Anakin, he sought to alleviate it by trying to see how Palpatine might be wrong. When a realization occurred to him, he grinned mischievously at the chancellor. "While you say the people and politicians of this Republic are weak, your own actions betray such words. You believe the rest of the politicians will follow you and accept your dictatorship."

"Yes, because I have spent years preparing them to accept such a reality. You don't understand, but one of the key aspects to my rise was the fact that I spent so many years as a lowly senator that no one ever paid attention to. This led almost all the politicians to see me as being just as weak as them. Besides that, I've learned how to play their weaknesses against them and for my own ends. I have never hesitated to tell anyone I know that the Republic is full of weak politicians who want all the perks of power with none of the responsibilities. I have used this attitude to assume their responsibilities, and their power, for myself. I have already assumed nearly all the powers of a dictator with everyone believing that I am doing nothing more than saving them from the burden of responsibility."

"There is going to be a day when all the politicians, and the rest of the galaxy for that matter, realize that you hold all the power they have so foolishly given up. When that happens, they will hate you for what you've done, and rebel against you."

"And when that day comes, it will be too late. By then, I will have amassed enough power that toppling me will be nearly impossible, especially if you were to join me. For three days, I have been teasing you about what role you could play in my new empire. It is time for you to learn what it is. You could be my enforcer, the one in charge of eliminating whoever may be a threat to me. You are a powerful man Anakin Skywalker, and I have to say, without your power I would not be in the position I am right now. Your arrival on Alderaan five years ago allowed me to follow a path to usurp the position of my former master. I now stand ready to become the supreme ruler of the galaxy instead of him. Once again, that is all thanks to you, as you almost single-handedly kept the Republic from losing the war early, when it was suffering do to its lack of preparation for war. You earned no glory for that; despite the way it would have boosted morale of our side and instilled fear in the other side. I intend to make no such mistake. If you join me and become my enforcer, your name will be known from one end of the nation to the other. It will be feared by everyone who seeks to oppose me. Your reputation alone will do much to keep the citizenry in line, and they need it. This nation is a failure and is thirsting for people such as the two of us to impose order and lead it into a new age."

Everything Palpatine said made Anakin yearn to take him up on his offer. He wanted the power; he wanted the reputation. Instinctively, he was embracing the dark side, but those instincts were pushed aside when his mind reminded him of everything he would have to give up and leave behind.

"I can't do it," Anakin said with a shake of his head. He was afraid to even look at Palpatine. "I would lose everything I've gained over the last five years."

"Were you concerned at all about everything you had to leave behind on Tatooine?" Palpatine asked. His voice was remarkably calm and collected, given the gravity of what they were discussing.

"Of course, I wasn't." Anakin replied, incredulous that Palpatine would have ever thought otherwise. "I had nothing there, and so much to gain by leaving."

"If you join me, you will one day look back on this moment in the same manner. You will realize that everything you had, everything you were so anxious to hold on to, was nothing in comparison to the power, stature, reputation, and station you have with me."

Sidious could feel the conflict growing in Anakin. He wanted to join him, but he still couldn't bring himself to make the choice. He was still gripped by fear of what he would lose. Sidious almost smiled over the irony of the situation. The Jedi always instructed their subjects to push aside fear, yet if Anakin did that now, it would lead him to turn away from the Jedi and embrace the Dark Side of the Force. Sidious knew that at this point in time, Anakin didn't have to make a decision. Soon, one would be made for him. When he left here, he would find that he was about to lose everything, despite his attempts to hold on to it all.

"I can't follow you." The words Anakin spoke sounded so simple yet conveyed so much. He said nothing more as he turned and walked out of Palpatine's office.

**...**

When Hego Damask had suggested a reception to try and ease tensions, Padme had tried to think of every excuse she could as to why it would be a bad idea. While she had come up with a few, she knew she ultimately couldn't decline the offer. They needed to give in to Damask on everything to find out what he was up to.

When she agreed to the reception, Padme had gotten the impression he had wanted to talk to her in a more unguarded setting. She couldn't explain why she thought that; it was just something she was instinctively feeling. From the moment she arrived, she expected him to come over and talk to her. He seemed to be waiting for something, and Padme soon figured he wanted her entourage to leave her so he could speak with her alone. She sent subtle signals to them to disperse, and one-by-one they obeyed her until it was just her and Sio Bibble, her chief-of-staff for the summit.

Just as she was about to send Sio away, the twins started causing trouble for her again. Through them she was once again feeling a coldness. It was coming from somewhere distant, and it didn't take her long to realize the source was Anakin. She was almost overcome with emotion feeling what was emanating from him, but she did her best to push aside all her feelings in order to focus and concentrate on what he was experiencing. For the moment, she wasn't concerned about what he might learn through their connection. She could sense he was in trouble, and she had to find out what that trouble was.

Not wanting to be disturbed at the moment, Padme signaled Sio that he was to remain by her side. She also made a statement that was code for letting him know the rest of the entourage was to fall back in around her. Not only did she want to avoid being disturbed, she was hoping she could leave the reception, unnoticed if possible. Sio started catching the eyes of the others to signal to them they were to return and provide cover for her.

As her entourage circled her, she did her best to reach out through the distance to Anakin. Doing so allowed her to experience the pain and rage he was feeling. She feared for him and thought she might be able to calm him, but for some reason, the connection was only one way. Besides that, she could only feel his emotions, she couldn't read his thoughts.

Feeling the turmoil their father was going through was enough to agitate the twins, and Padme started feeling the pain they were. She did her best to reman stoic and unmoved as she tried to listen to the warlords vying for her attention. She knew the pain they were causing her was not going to subside, so she started looking for a way to make an exit. She took a few steps away from the crowd as she pulled out her communicator, pretending she had received a message. As she did so, she felt so much pain in her stomach she had to wince. She turned her head to hide it. She was barely able to remain upright. She had to reach out and brace herself against the wall as an especially acute pain swept through her. She had to get out of there quickly, so she disappeared into the nearest hallway.

Once in the hallway, she headed for her suite. As she walked, she had to take a break whenever the pain in her stomach became too much. Every time she stopped to break, she rubbed her stomach to try and soothe the twins. She told them if they could just remain calm, she could reach her suite, reach out to their father, and calm him. Then all the bad things they were feeling would be gone.

**...**

Immediately upon landing his spinner in the Jedi hangar, Anakin started asking around for where he could find Master Windu. He had been told that the Jedi Grandmaster was in his personal meditation room with a few other Jedi. Anakin raced there, thankful that unlike other Jedi, Windu never locked himself inside his room when he was meditating. He wanted to be reachable in case of emergencies, and what Anakin had to tell him definitely qualified as an emergency. He did his best to hurry through the temple, but he couldn't avoid having to wait for the lift to take him up to the meditation chambers. As he waited for the lift, his fear only increased as he thought about all the negative reactions Windu might have to his revelations.

**...**

Sidious took a brief moment to survey the bodies of the two dead soldiers laying outside the entrance. He wanted to make sure they were dead, and by trying to sense them in the Force, he learned their life essences had departed their bodies. It was clear they had been killed by someone yielding a lightsaber. Sidious grabbed one of the soldier's guns, threw his lightsaber into the air, and blasted it to pieces with the gun before putting it back in the soldier's holster. He had thrown the lightsaber so far out that any pieces would fall to the level below. No one would realize a lightsaber had been destroyed, and when the bodies of the soldiers were discovered, everyone would assume they had been killed by a Jedi.

With that task completed, Sidous closed the door behind him as he headed back to his office. He knew Anakin was still in the Jedi Temple, and he could feel the fear and turmoil he was experiencing. He knew everything was getting transmitted to Padme, just as he intended. Once he got to his office, he would have to meditate as the next step would require a good amount of concentration. He was going to have to wait for just the right moment to let Padme and Anakin connect completely, but briefly. If everything would happen as he had foreseen it, then Anakin would soon be his.

**...**

Hego Damask was close to going over to speak with Secretary Amidala when he noticed members of her entourage starting to encircle her once again. He turned his attention away from her for a moment as he decided what his next move should be. He only looked away from her for a short moment, but when he looked back, he saw she had disappeared. It was only then that he felt the disturbance in the Force. Someone, most likely Anakin Skywalker, was channeling the Dark Side. It was weak, but still noticeable to him. Given the connection that apparently existed between Skywalker and Padme, he knew she must be feeling it as well, and had likely taken her leave because of it.

Needing to know where she was, Plagueis reached out with the Force to sense her presence. He knew it would be easy as he could simply follow the flow of the Dark Side to her. When he followed it, he was able to locate her, but there was something odd about what he was feeling. There seemed to be multiple presences in the Force. He couldn't understand it, but he didn't have time to worry about the anomaly. He needed to go and find Padme, and from what he had been able to ascertain, she had returned to her room.

If Skywalker was turning to the dark side, then it meant Sidious was making his final move. He had a few moves of his own to make if he was to hold on to his own slice of the galaxy, and it was time to start making those moves. He whispered in the ear of an aide of his that he was going to take his leave, but he wanted him to wait two minutes and then tell the crowd the reception was over. The aide was to tell the warlords they were to return to the meeting room for a private conversation with him. He was just going to leave it at that, but when he looked up, he noticed the Jedi. He was going to have to keep him occupied for the moment and instructed the aide he was to lead the Republic's delegation to another conference room, as he would be by to brief them after speaking with the Separatist warlords. With that, he figured he had taken care of everything and left to find Padme.

**...**

Anakin barged into Windu's meditation room to find him sitting cross legged at the far end. With him were Kit Fisto, Agen Kolar, and Saesee Tin. He didn't care if they were in the middle of something. He offered no apologies as he got right to the point.

"I am sorry to have to interrupt your meditation, but I have something to tell you that cannot wait." Anakin found it hard to continue as his mouth was dry and he had to wet his lips. "I have found Damask's partner, the other Sith Lord we have been looking for. It's Chancellor Palpatine."

Like a good stoic Jedi, Mace Windu remained calm and seemed unfazed by the news. "Chancellor Palpatine a Sith Lord, are you sure?" His voice was steady and unemotional as he spoke.

"Yes, I know for sure because he revealed himself to me a couple days ago," Anakin replied.

Initially, Mace continued to look skeptical, but it slowly dawned on him that it made perfect sense for their mystery Sith Lord to be a politician who was in the perfect position to manipulate the Republic into war with Damask's Separatists. "Palpatine," he said as he shook his head. "We should have been able to figure that out. It all makes sense now." He had an expression of incredulousness on his face that quickly changed to a quizzical expression as he thought of something. "You just said he first revealed himself to you a couple days ago. Why did you not come to us with this information right away?"

"He was trying to recruit me to his side," Anakin began. Always telling the truth was one of the tenants of the Jedi code, and Anakin figured it was best to be following it during a time like this. "I was tempted, I will not deny that, but I was really just trying to find out as much information about his plan as I could. I was afraid of what might happen if we moved against Palpatine prematurely. He had a plan in place with Plagueis, and we needed to know what it was. Might I remind you, that Padme and Obi-Wan are on Geonosis and completely at the mercy of Plagueis. If his partner was arrested, there is no telling what he might have done in revenge."

"What would have happened to Padme and Obi-Wan is of no concern to you." Windu stood and spoke in a tone of agitation as he walked towards Anakin. "They both knew the dangers they faced when they left for the summit. What Plagueis might do to them is inconsequential. Thrawn has the planet blockaded, there is no way Plagueis can leave the planet. That was always the plan. I know it might hurt for you to accept that your former master might be sacrificed in such a manner, but he has always been a warrior and would understand."

"And what about Padme, and all her aides. Are they warriors who would understand they needed to be sacrificed?"

"They may not be warriors, but they understand the need for some to give up their lives for the greater good. They have been working for peace, and they will be proud that we could bring it to the galaxy, even if they don't live to see it."

"Was this the plan all along?" Anakin was incredulous as a thought occurred to him. "Were you always ready to sacrifice the lives of Obi-Wan, Padme, and everyone else as long as it allowed you to imprison Plagueis on the planet."

"It was a contingency we were always prepared to enact."

"But we have to get them out of there." Now, it was Anakin's turn to get angry. "Padme is my wife!" Anakin did not hold anything back in his reply. "The two of us have a love and a connection on a level which is unfathomable to everyone else in the galaxy. It was a love that we couldn't just push aside. We were secretly married after the Battle of Naboo. Now, I know we can arrest Palpatine while making sure Padme, and the rest with her, are kept safe. We must send word to our people on Geonosis to leave. Word will spread quickly throughout the galaxy of Palpatine's arrest. Damask will very well be one of the first to know his partner has been arrested, and their grand plan has been discovered. He will seek to move against Padme and her delegation, but not if we warn them first. Send them a message telling them the truth. Tell Thrawn to do whatever he has to in order to extract them safely from their location."

"That will give too much away too early," Windu replied. "Palpatine must be taken care of by us first, then we can send out word to our forces on Geonosis to try and do something about his partner. As Palpatine is the greater threat, he must be dealt with first. Once we send out word we have found Damask's partner, our ability to act in secret will be lost. I take the three Jedi here with me to deal with Palpatine. I want you to stay here. When I return, we will discuss your expulsion from the Jedi Order."

Anakin was too stunned by what he was hearing to even speak. He couldn't believe Master Windu was thinking about expelling him from the Order. He looked around at the other three Jedi there, hoping for some sign they would speak up in his defense and tell Windu he could not do anything so rash. Given their failure to even look him in the eye, he knew they had no desire to defy the authority of the Jedi Grandmaster. They were good and obedient Jedi, just as they had been trained to be.

"My expulsion? How could you do such a thing?" Anakin was glaring at Windu, his nostrils flaring.

"I am surprised that after everything you told me you would not expect me to be expelling you," Windu began. "You just admitted that you were breaking one of the primary rules of the Jedi the entire time you were part of the order. You also admitted to being tempted by the Dark Side while hiding the identity of the Sith Lord that is behind this war. Expulsion from the Order should be the least of your concerns. You should consider yourself fortunate if we don't hand you over to the Republic courts to be charged with treason."

Anakin couldn't believe what he was hearing. After everything he had done to become a Jedi, after all the heroics he had performed, after the way he single-handedly raised the stature of the Jedi again, he was set to be cast aside like an animal. He had suffered much in life, and had almost never cried, but there were tears in his eyes. He fought to hold them back as Mace gave him the most intense glare he had ever seen.

"I have other business to attend to. Wait here. As I said, I will deal with you when I return."

Anakin stood as still as a statue as he watched Windu file out with the others. The other three Jedi failed to look at him as they left. They were still too cowardly to stand up for him.

Alone, Anakin stayed in the room, unsure what to do. Just like the other Jedi, he was instinctively following Windu's authority. He had been told to stay in the room, so that was what he was doing. He took a seat and began to go over in his mind everything Windu had said to him. He got more and more furious as he remembered everything Mace said to him. His mind eventually moved away from the admonishments he had been given to something Mace said that sounded rather odd to Anakin. When discussing what they were going to do about Palpatine, Mace had said they would deal with him themselves. It finally occurred to Anakin it was odd that he hadn't said they were going to arrest him, as they should have. By saying they were going to deal with Palpatine, it seemed like Mace was saying they were just going to kill him and be done with it. It infuriated Anakin that they might do such a thing. The Jedi didn't have the authority to simply assassinate the chancellor. They were supposed to follow the laws of the Republic, and that meant the most they could do to the chancellor was arrest him and put him on trial, even if he was a Sith.

If Mace Windu was set to assassinate Palpatine, he would be hypocritically violating the Jedi Code. While that alone infuriated Anakin, he started feeling a personal sense of loss when thinking about Palpatine's death. So much of what he had told Anakin had come to pass. The man had not been lying about what the Jedi were truly like. Anakin was starting to see his description of them had been accurate. If they were to truly kill Palpatine, then everything he had said about them would be proven true.

Thinking he couldn't give Mace the chance to kill Palpatine, Anakin ran out of the room and to the nearest balcony that overlooked the Jedi hangar. He reached the edge just as he saw a transport fly away in the direction of the capital offices. He knew the transport held Mace and the three other Jedi. He started channeling the Force in anticipation of stopping it and holding it in mid-air. He quickly realized that wasn't the best solution. He remembered how he had done the same thing to a ship carrying Hego Damask only to have the Sith Lord use the Dark Side to knock him down and release the ship from his grip. At first, he thought he must be ready for Mace and the Jedi to do something similar. He soon realized simply holding them would only cause him trouble. The best thing to do would be to simply grab the ship and throw it to the ground.

The thought of murdering four Jedi didn't cause Anakin the least bit of trouble. He was so full of rage, he wasn't thinking very clearly. There was little thought of what he would do once the Jedi were murdered, and little thought of what would happen to him if anyone found out he was responsible.

**...**

Padme made it to her suite. She had to walk bent over because the pain in her stomach was so intense. She felt a degree of comfort being back in her room, but the feeling was short lived. The twins were feeling what their father was going through and making her feel it too. The feelings were getting more intense, and she barely had enough strength to make it to her bed and collapse on it. Laying on the bed didn't provide much relief, but it helped that she at least wasn't on her feet any more. She could now concentrate on trying to reach out to Anakin. Despite her best efforts, the connection was nothing more than it had been before. It was just one-way, and she couldn't read his thoughts, she could only feel his emotions. She could feel the anger had turned into a boiling rage. She didn't understand the Force, but she could feel she was losing Anakin. He was setting himself down a path he would never come back from, and she was powerless to stop it. She buried her head in her pillow as she did the only thing she could do, weep.

**...**

Sidious sat at his desk, reaching out with the Force and sensing everything that was happening nearby. He smiled as he felt the murderous rage that was consuming Anakin. It was exactly what he wanted, but it was all happening just a moment too early. If Sidious did nothing, Anakin would kill Mace and the three other Jedi in the transport. He would fall to the Dark Side, but there was no guarantee it would be permanent. Sidious needed just one thing to make sure his turning would be irrevocable. He let the channel between Anakin and Padme open completely.

**...**

Just as Anakin was about to reach out with the Force, and grab the transport, he felt thoughts and feelings that were not his own. He didn't know why it was forming now, but after an absence of several months, his connection with Padme was back.

**...**

Padme jolted up in bed as she realized the connection between her, and Anakin was fully formed. She could not only feel his emotions, but read his thoughts, and she knew he could sense the same things with her. She finally had what she wanted, but now, didn't know what to do. She could still feel the rage and fury surging through him, but there was something else to it. Now able to read his thoughts, she could sense the murderous intent inside him. She could read what he was thinking, he was intending to destroy a transport containing Mace Windu and three other Jedi. She didn't know why, but she knew it was something there couldn't be any cause for.

The Anakin she was sensing was an alien to her. What she was feeling out of him scared her. It scared her so badly she was feeling there was nothing she could do to bring him back. She was so scared by what she was sensing out of Anakin, and felt so helpless, she didn't even try to do anything.

**...**

Anakin stumbled back when he felt he was fully connected to Padme. For a moment, he felt guilty knowing that she was learning what he was about to do. The guilt went away when he reminded himself he had nothing to feel guilty about. He made the effort to reach out and feel what she was thinking of him right at that moment. The only thing coming from her were fear and heartbreak. She was feeling terror over what he had become. She was heartbroken that he was not the man she had thought he was. Her thoughts were only serving to make him angrier. He tried to explain himself in his mind, hoping she would be able to read his thoughts. Just as he started, he felt the connection shut down. He guessed she had closed it, shutting it off as she had somehow managed to do so many times before over the past couple months.

After spending a moment to try and re-establish the connection, Anakin finally gave up. Despite the shortness of the connection, one thing was clear, Padme was not able to accept the person he was becoming, the person he needed to be. Palpatine had been right. Whatever they had shared before, whatever she had meant to him at one point, she was someone he was going to have to leave behind. He had a great destiny awaiting him, much greater then he could ever have with her. She would never accept what needed to be done to right the galaxy. Palpatine had been right, just as he was proving to have been right about everything.

Thinking about Palpatine reminded Anakin that he needed to save the man. He scanned the skyline for the Jedi transport, but couldn't spot it. He had lost it, and now knew the only way to save Palpatine was to go to his office. He raced to the hangar, climbed back into his spinner, and raced for the capital building.

**...**

As the transport carried the Jedi through the Coruscant skyline, Mace Windu looked around at the other Jedi. He only had three with him to take care of Palpatine. He was beginning to question if that number would be enough. He had just left with the Jedi he had at hand because he believed time was of the essence. It would have taken time to get together more Jedi and Windu didn't want to give Palaptine that time, he didn't want to give Anakin that time either. He had been able to feel the conflict in the man through the Force, and he wanted Palpatine dead before the Dark Side won that conflict.

Despite the need to hurry, Windu still wondered if they should turn around and get more Jedi. He eventually convinced himself the smaller number was better. First, they were going to be in Palpatine's office. They knew they were going to be getting a fight from him. With more Jedi there, they would just get in each other's way during the battle.

Fewer Jedi also made it more likely that Palpatine would actually put up a fight. If they went in with overwhelming numbers, he might figure he had no chance to win and would give himself up quietly. Once imprisoned, he could plot his escape. Mace was hoping he would put up a fight, in doing so he would reveal himself to the entire galaxy as a Sith Lord. Mace knew there were cameras all over the chancellor's office. Once everything was over, the release of those videos would go a long way towards convincing the public the Jedi did what needed to be done. He was hoping they could goad the man into initiating the fight. That way the videos of the incident would simply show they had been forced to kill him in self-defense, and that he had not been the meek, simple man he pretended to be.

The spinner landed in front of the main entrance, it's headlights illuminating the door and revealing the bodies of the two soldiers that had been standing guard. Mace Windu raced out to check their condition, ready to radio for medics if they were alive. Feeling their lack of presence in the Force told him they were dead, but he still inspected them to see how they had died. He saw the unmistakable slashes of a lightsaber through their chests, and instantly knew Palpatine had killed them. Whatever he had planned for the Jedi, he didn't want any witnesses for it.

The door opened for them without them having to make a command. Palpatine was watching them and wanted them to enter. They obliged, with Mace leading the way.

The band of Jedi walked to the chancellor's office to find him working at his desk, acting oblivious to the fact something significant was about to happen. He continued to keep his focus on his work as Mace walked right up to the desk. The other three Jedi stayed back, ready to leap into action at any moment.

"Mace Windu," Palpatine said as he finally looked up from his work. "To what do I owe this visit at such a late hour."

"I think you know why we are here." Mace did his best to keep his voice calm as he spoke. "Anakin revealed everything to me. I know who you really are, and what you have done. I was hoping this would go without incident. Walk over to us, take out your lightsaber, and slowly hand it to us."

A smirk appeared on Palpatine's face as he stood. He made no move to come out from behind the desk. "A lightsaber, now why would you think I have a lightsaber on me?"

Mace Windu did his best to stay calm and unmoved. Palpatine was playing ignorant, something Mace had not been expecting. He didn't know what else to do, other than to try and play along and get him to admit the truth.

"I expect you to have a lightsaber because you are a Sith Lord, as you admitted to Anakin. Besides that, the two soldiers at the entrance are dead, sliced to death by a lightsaber. Only you could have done that."

Palpatine seemed saddened by the reveal the soldiers were dead, but he kept his composure. "I know what you are trying to do, Anakin revealed everything to me. He couldn't believe it himself, but he told me you were going to proclaim I was a Sith Lord in order to justify my assassination. Until you arrived, I couldn't believe it myself. I foolishly thought I was the only person at risk, but now it appears you slaughtered my guards in order to try and frame me as a Sith Lord. You made a grave mistake there, for I am no Sith Lord and don't even possess a lightsaber. While I am not a Force-user, I do have a certain amount of general knowledge about the Jedi and your weapons. I know they contain crystals that channel the Force, and that allows you to sense them, and makes it easy for you to call them to you. Do that now. Try and feel my lightsaber and call it to you."

As Palpatine finished speaking, he held his arms out to show he was not a threat. Mace Windu did as Palpatine wanted, using the Force to scan his body for a lightsaber. He came up empty, but simply moved on to using the Force to scan the whole building for it.

**...**

Anakin landed his spinner right next to the Jedi transport. He jumped out and walked through the entrance so quickly he barely noticed the two dead soldiers. He gave little thought to how they died, and with everything on his mind, they were easily forgotten. Unlike the Jedi, Anakin raced through the hallways of the building.

**...**

Mace Windu cursed in frustration when he was unable to find a lightsaber anywhere. "It doesn't matter if I failed to find anything. You had a lightsaber recently and used it to kill the soldiers outside before destroying it. You are a Sith Lord."

"That is a lie. I am no Sith Lord." In contrast to Windu's increasingly agitated voice, Palpatine was speaking rather calmly. "You are lying to try and eliminate me. Anakin revealed this to me. He said you would be here tonight to do it. He said you were going to arrest me and claim I was a Sith Lord, but in doing that, you run the risk of all your lies being exposed."

**...**

When Anakin reached Palpatine's office, he could see the three Jedi standing towards the rear of the office. Since they all had their backs turned to him, they failed to notice him. It was the same with Windu, who had his back turned to Anakin as he spoke with Palpatine. He could tell the two were in the middle of a conversation. He decided to stay back to see how things played out.

**...**

"I know you will never risk a trial," Palpatine said. "You are simply here to slaughter me, counting on the fact everyone will believe whatever you tell them. You could not be more mistaken."

"I am afraid you are the one who is mistaken," Windu said, speaking much more calmly. "You fail to understand the Jedi still have much trust throughout the galaxy. I do not doubt we will find the evidence we need to prove you are a Sith Lord who has been deceiving the politicians of the Republic for years, even decades, if we go back to your entrance into the Senate. That will be enough to get the public to believe your execution was necessary."

"I knew the Jedi were delusional, but I had no idea it was this bad." Palpatine shook his head as he talked. "Go ahead and strike me down. It will only be the beginning of the end for you as the entire galaxy will turn against the Jedi Order." From the tone of his voice, Palpatine was trying to give the Jedi a clear warning of what would happen if they pursued their course of action.

**...**

Anakin stayed back as he was able to hear the conversation between Mace and Palpatine. He couldn't believe the grandmaster Jedi would just carry out an execution, but Mace admitted to everything. Killing the chancellor, killing anyone, in cold blood like that would have been against every rule and code the Order had, but none of that mattered to Windu. He was too consumed with hatred and mistrust to see differently. The fury Anakin was feeling over that fact was immense. He felt betrayed. Windu had just informed him he was going to be expelled from the order for his disobedience in following the rules. Now, he was ignoring rules that were much more significant than any Anakin broke. Palpatine was trying to tell him how disastrous the course of action would be for the Jedi, but Mace was completely dismissive. He believed the Jedi would retain the trust of the people no matter what they did.

While Anakin felt Windu may very well be right, he knew that such trust would not be deserved. The Jedi held themselves up as being sacrificial, and only concerned with others. The truth that Anakin had learned from his time in the Order was that they were just as self-serving as anyone else. They were the ones who had failed the galaxy more than anyone else. Palpatine was one of the few men out there trying to save it. Besides that, he was personally one of the few people Anakin could trust. He couldn't let the Jedi do anything to harm him.

Knowing that he had to save Palpatine, he took out his lightsaber. He didn't light it yet, as he was afraid the sound of it extending would give him away. He continued to listen to Mace and Palpatine talk as he readied himself to attack. For a moment, he tried to calm himself so he could better call on the Force. He shook his head as he reminded himself that was the Jedi way, the way of weakness. He stopped trying to calm himself and instead started channeling his anger and doing whatever he could to make himself feel even angrier. That was the way to greater power in the Force.

When Windu pulled out his lightsaber and activated it, Anakin charged ahead. With all the other Jedi standing off to the side, he had a clear path to where Mace and Palpatine were standing. He could see Mace begin to raise his lightsaber to kill Palpatine. He had made it about halfway there but wasn't sure if he was going to be able to reach them in time. He did everything he could to make himself feel even angrier, and it worked in causing him to feel a surge in Force energy. He could feel the strength of the Dark Side surging through his body and guiding his actions. He activated his lightsaber and held it up, so he was ready to attack when he reached Mace.

Anakin had just about reached Mace when he saw the Jedi began to swing his lightsaber down at Palpatine. He saw what he needed to do, and with the power of the Force brought himself to an abrupt stop as he sliced off Windu's arm. As he did so, he felt a Force surge emanate out and away from his body. The surge was so powerful it seemed to cause the entire room to shake.

The Jedi grandmaster howled out in pain as his arm hit the ground, the lightsaber deactivated, but was still held by the hand. For a moment, Anakin was stunned by what he had done. He could feel the eyes of the other Jedi on him as they looked at him in shock. He was too stunned to do anything else, even though he knew he should be pressing the attack. He found himself hesitant. Mace's screaming was scaring him. He wasn't thinking of furthering the attack, he was thinking about running.

Of all the people in the room, Palpatine was the only one who had remained calm. He was connected to Anakin and was telling him he had to take out the Jedi, starting with Mace Windu. The Jedi had done nothing but use him, lie to him, and their thanks for taking advantage of him was to expel him from the Order. Palpatine's actions had the desired effect, and the anger Anakin was feeling just increased. With the increased intensity of the anger he was feeling came a stronger affinity for the Dark Side. In an instant, he came to believe he could do anything. The Jedi deserved death, and Anakin was just the person to give it to them. Calling on all his anger to channel the dark side, he swung his lightsaber and cut down Mace Windu. The second he saw the Jedi grandmaster dead, he was filled with elation that he had delivered justice to one of the men who had done so much to hurt not just him, but the whole galaxy. It didn't take him long to realize what the elation really was, the power of the dark side surging through his body. The feeling was amazing, he took it as a sign that he had done the right thing. The power he was feeling now was something he had been seeking his entire life, and he never would have accomplished it if he had not turned on the Jedi and sought to follow Palpatine.

The surge of dark side energy that came with Anakin's murder of Mace was strong and felt by Palpatine. It was so strong, that he knew anyone tuned to the dark side of the Force would be able to feel it.

**...**

Padme laid on the bed, slowly recovering from the pain she had been feeling. With the connection between them completely broken, the twins were no longer feeling their father's turmoil. While she wished she could communicate with Anakin and alleviate his suffering, she didn't mind the moment of respite.

The moment of respite did not last long. All of a sudden, she felt an acute sensation. It was all the same things she had been feeling through the connection, but greatly amplified. The twins felt it all too, and seemed to be howling in pain, even though that was an impossibility. Padme felt like doing so herself, but knew if she let anything out, it would be so loud the entire mountain would be alerted to the fact she was in pain. She still felt a need to keep her secret, so she summoned all the willpower she could, held her hand over her mouth, and winced as quietly as she could into her pillow.

**...**

As Plagueis walked through the halls to Padme's suite, he could feel Anakin channeling the Dark Side light years away. He kept hoping it would subside, but it never did. When he felt the immense surge of Dark Side energy, he knew Anakin had been turned for good. Palpatine was successful, and Plagueis was in trouble. All was not lost, there were still ways for him to defeat Palpatine in the end. He just needed to set some things in motion, starting with Padme.

**...**

With the telepathic urging of Palpatine, Anakin raced around the office, taking out one Jedi after another. After witnessing the brutal death of their grandmaster at the hands of one of their own, the Jedi were too shocked to act. With the speed Anakin was moving, the first Jedi he encountered was cut down without making the slightest move to defend himself. The other two tried to pull out their lightsabers to block his attacks but were unsuccessful. When all the Jedi laid dead, Anakin took a moment to look around. He was stunned, not by what he had done, but by how easy it had been.

"They didn't put up a fight at all. They barely even moved."

"They were too shocked by what they witnessed." Palpatine's voice was thick with disgust over the passitivity the Jedi had just displayed. "It is a sign of the mental weakness the Jedi instill in their knights. They keep them that way so they will be obedient and blindly follow their masters. As you just witnessed, it can cause serious problems when they are met with an unexpected threat. Thankfully for us, you do not share this trait with them, as you were raised outside the Order before joining them. You have a toughness that allowed you to see the Jedi for what they really were. Your turning on them has saved the galaxy. This will be a day long remembered in the history of my new empire."

Anakin was filled with pride over the praise he was getting from Palpatine. Despite the feeling of pride, his mind was on the Jedi threat they were still very much facing. "This day will not be remembered in our favor if the rest of the Jedi find out what happened here and retaliate against us. The Temple is full of Jedi that must be dealt with." Anakin paused for a moment as he considered what he was doing. "Time is of the essence now. Taking on all the Jedi in the Temple is an enormous task, but with the power of the dark side I believe I am up to it. I am a Sith now." Anakin wasn't sure what was supposed to happen, or what he was supposed to do. He knelt before Sidious, as that seemed the proper thing to do. He lowered his head as he spoke. "I pledge myself to you. I wish for you to be my master and instruct me in Sith teaching and the ways of the dark side."

"Very good," Palpatine began. "You are embarking on a path that will make you a new person. As such, you should have a new name to indicate this change. From here on out, you shall be known as Darth. . .Vader. It is a name that in time will be feared throughout the galaxy and spoken with reverence."

Sidious paused as the dark side energy emanating from his new apprentice was more than he could have ever imagined. "I can feel the dark side flowing through you. You possess a potential in it I did not believe was possible. Under my tutelage, you will learn to harness all your potential and become more powerful than you could have ever imagined. You will not display that potential tonight by attacking the Temple. I have made other arrangements for them. Rise and you will see."


	10. Chapter 10: The aftermath

**Chapter 10: The aftermath**

Obi-Wan was curious when Damask's aides began telling everyone the reception was over, and that the Separatist and Republic delegations were to convene in separate conference rooms. He wondered why Damask was having his aides tell everyone the news instead of doing it himself. He looked around for the man, only to find that neither he, nor Padme, was no where to be found. He immediately feared for Padme, although he calmed down when he realized her entourage would have known if she was in danger.

When Obi-Wan asked Sio Bibble where Padme had gone, he revealed she had disappeared on her own initiative. He figured she was retreating to her suite. Obi-Wan immediately thought Damask must have seen her leave and followed her. The Force wasn't telling him he had any reason to worry, but he didn't want Damask alone with Padme. He found the commander of the clone troops and informed him that he needed to leave to find Padme. As the two groups retreated to their assigned rooms, he slipped away so he could go to Padme's suite and check on her.

**...**

As Anakin stood from his kneeling position, he watched Palpatine walk over to the holo-projector. An image of a clone trooper in full armor appeared in the projector. As the trooper looked the same as all the others, it was impossible to know where he was located.

When Anakin heard Palpatine say the clone's name, he knew he had heard it somewhere before. It took him just a second to remember that he had heard one of the clone troopers in the Jedi Temple called that name. Quickly turning his attention back to the conversation Palpatine was having, he heard him tell the clone trooper to execute order 66.

After giving the short order, Palpatine cut off the transmission. Anakin waited for the next part, but nothing happened. "Is that all?" Anakin asked.

Palpatine turned around slowly to look at Anakin. He didn't start his reply until he was looking his new apprentice in the eye. "When I created the clone army, I instilled in them certain commands that they would respond to without question. One such command was an order that would compel them to see all Jedi as enemies of the Republic and execute them. That was the order I just gave to the clone trooper, and he is sending it around to all the other clone troopers in the Temple. It was I who led them to take the clone troopers on for mundane security, but it was just my way of having them embedded there for when this moment came. In a matter of seconds, all the clone troops embedded in the Temple will turn on the Jedi, most of them will probably be cut down before they even realize what is happening. The others will be too stunned and too outnumbered to be able to save themselves."

Palpatine walked over to the window that held the view of the Jedi Temple. Anakin went ahead and joined him. "If you want to know what is happening, I would suggest reaching out with the Force and feeling your former compatriots through it," Palpatine instructed Anakin. "This moment will mark the beginning of the end for the Jedi. It will be a day long remembered by my new empire."

Anakin did as his master commanded. He could feel the presence of every Jedi and sense that everything was calm. For a very brief moment he wondered if Palpatine had been wrong about the clone's willingness to turn on their Jedi commanders.

In an instant, Anakin could feel hundreds of Jedi crying out in the Force before their presences were snuffed out forever. Their cries were soon joined by the sense of dread from the Jedi who were fortunate enough to survive the first wave. All of them were trying to reach out with the Force and find out how many allies they had left. They all believed what they were witnessing was an isolated event; nothing more than the actions of a single deranged clone giving out an insane order to his crew. When they found out all the clone troopers had committed the same action, they couldn't believe it. Their denial made them fail to see the immense danger they were in and made them hesitant to act. This hesitation only made them easier to slaughter.

As the last of the Jedi in the Temple died, Anakin could do nothing more than shake his head and marvel in the mental weakness they had displayed. Palpatine had been right about them, not just in describing the deficiencies in their training that left them in such a sorry mental state, but in describing all their deficiencies that had made them weak and ripe for elimination by him. For the briefest of seconds, Anakin felt the barest of sympathies for the fallen Jedi. There was no real grief from him, but there was relief that Palpatine had thought enough of him to bring him to his side and spare him. It wasn't just a random selection, though, Palpatine had selected him not just because of the immense strength he possessed, but because of the unique insight he had about the failings of the Jedi. He was not like them at all, and that was why they were now dead, and he was still alive.

**...**

With the successful execution of Order 66 by the clones in the Temple, Palpatine knew it would be successful elsewhere. He walked back over to the holo-communicator, and with a single command Order 66 was transmitted to the rest of the clone troopers in the galaxy.

**...**

Commander Rex's communicator buzzed very distinctively as he followed the Republic's delegation into their conference room. The communicator was telling him he had a message, one that he should take only if he could do so in secret. He looked around the room and was happy to see few of the dignitaries were paying any attention to him. He let his second-in-command know what he was doing before he walked out into the empty hallway. When he brought up the message, he was met by the holo-image of the chancellor. For some reason, he was wearing a cloak over his head. The clone didn't think much of it as he just listened to the message, knowing he would have to do whatever the man asked of him. It was a rather short message, instructing him to do nothing more than execute Order 66. He had never realized there was an Order 66, but when he heard it, something in the recesses of his mind activated and he instantly knew what they had to do. They had to execute the lone Jedi that was with them.

Rex went back inside the room and gathered the rest of the clones around him. He told them what command they had to carry out. Even though Order 66 meant nothing to the other dignitaries, he kept his voice low as he didn't want them to hear anything they said. He wasn't sure if all the other clone troopers would recognize the order. Thankfully, they all seemed to know what he was talking about. They nodded their heads as he told them to wait, he would inform the political aides they had to leave them alone and be on their way.

Sio Bibble was incredulous when he was informed the group was going to be left without any security. He demanded to know why. Normally, the clones would have had to obey such a request, but the Order from the chancellor compelled them to secrecy. Sio was not happy, but the clones had their orders from the chancellor, and no minor aide was going to override it. After hearing enough complaints, Rex led his clone troops out of the room and in the direction of Padme's suite, where Obi-Wan had informed them he would be.

As the clone troops tried to leave, they were stopped by some of Damask's battle droids. The droids demanded to know where they were going, as their leader wanted everyone to stay in the room he had instructed them to stay in. Commander Rex didn't have time for any delay and told them they needed to get past them, they had an order from their chancellor they needed to carry out. The droids responded by aiming their blasters right at the clones. Commander Rex realized they were in a bad position and commanded the clones to return to the conference room. After the clones took a few steps in the direction of the room, the droids went ahead and lowered their weapons.

"NOW!" Commander Rex shouted to his troops. As one, they all turned around and started firing at the battle droids. They took out most of them before the droids were able to return fire. When the droids did return fire, they managed to take out a few of the clone troops.

When it was all over, Commander Rex only had about half his troops left. He hoped it would be enough for taking out the Jedi. He ordered them to hurry, as he wanted to get away before any more battle droids tried to come to the aide of their fallen brethren. The clones ran through the halls in the direction of Padme's suite.

**...**

Sio Bibble had been looking out through the mostly closed door and witnessed the entire battle. He couldn't understand what the clones had to do that they would go to war with the battle droids to do it. He was gripped with terror as he had no idea what the fight he just witnessed meant. He kept waiting for more battle droids to come by, but none came. He had no idea what was going on, but something significant was taking place. He had one thought and one thought only, get off the planet and to the safety of the fleet in orbit. He told the rest of the group that trouble seemed to be afoot and they should leave. Someone protested, wanting to know where Padme and the Jedi were. He assured them the two of them were together and safe, which was probably true. No one else offered any protestation, so he led them out.

The group found the coast clear, to their relief. After they made their way through a few hallways, Sio radioed Thrawn and demanded he send them shuttles to evacuate them.

**...**

When Thrawn received the message from Sio, he played ignorant, even though he knew exactly what was happening. He had his own secret orders from Palpatine that he needed to carry out. He could evacuate the group, all he needed was to know that Secretary Amidala was with them. When he told Sio he needed to evacuate the Secretary, the man assured them he would find her.

When the message was over, Thrawn simply nodded to Lieutenant Palleon, his aide-de-camp, who was standing dutifully by him. He knew his part in the plan they had to carry out, and started working at his computer, ready to hack into the Separatist's droid control system when needed. His ability to do so was the sole reason Thrawn had originally selected him for the post he occupied. He had previously been on the Separatist side, helping to establish the code that ran their droid systems. His defection had been a real gift for Palpatine, although they had been waiting to utilize his skills, saving the secret information for just this occasion.

**...**

Sio cursed over the fact they couldn't just leave. He didn't want to send anyone back and have them risk being caught by the battle droids. He was hoping that when they boarded the shuttles, he would simply be able to convince the pilots to leave without Padme. He did look around to see if there was anyone who would make a sacrificial lamb. He didn't see anyone until his eyes fell upon Padme's two droids. He couldn't remember their names, so he just called out to them.

"Hey droids. You two. Yeah, you, the protocol droid and the astromech droid." The two droids looked at each other before looking at him. "I just received word from Thrawn we are to evacuate the planet. We can't do so without Padme, though. He wants the two of you to return to her suite and fetch her. When she's with you, bring her to the same landing platform where we arrived. You can do that can't you."

"Sir, I am a protocol droid, trained to serve high-ranking officials and fluent in over six million forms of communication. My skills would-"

"Great, you can do it." The humans ran off, leaving the droids alone. Once they were alone, Artoo took off to try and find Padme. With nothing else to do, Threepio simply followed his compatriot.

**...**

Plagueis stood outside Padme's suite. Given that the place was his turf, he had access to every room, even Padme's suite. He had his own master code that would allow him to enter any room he pleased.

Right as he was ready to key in the code to open the door, his communicator beeped to indicate it had intercepted a message. The Sith Lord knew what it was before he even checked. It was the message his partner had sent to all the clones in the galaxy, telling them to execute their Jedi commanders. He took just a moment to reach out and sense Obi-Wan. The Jedi was okay and heading his way. Plagueis knew the clones would be on his tail. He had just a short amount of time to tell Padme what he needed before everyone converged on them.

When the door slid open, Plagueis charged in and activated his lightsaber. He wanted to be ready to defend himself in case Padme tried to attack him. One look at her was all he needed to know she would be doing no such thing. She was lying in her bed, and struggled just to turn and look at him. She was sweating and appeared too weak to even sit up.

"What are you doing here?" She managed to yell at him, but she didn't sound well doing so.

"I'm here because I felt the same thing you did. Anakin Skywalker just became consumed by the Dark Side." Plagueis was surprised that she seemed to be feeling it as acutely as she was. There was something else affecting her.

"My husband has been flirting with the Dark Side, that much is true." Her voice was strained as she spoke, but there was a determination in her tone. She struggled to sit up, holding one hand clutched to her body as she did so. Plagueis had noticed she had been wearing rather loose and baggy clothing during the start of the summit. With her hand holding her clothes tightly against her body, he was able to see why, she was trying to hide her protruding stomach. He suddenly understood everything, why he had felt multiple presences in the Force earlier, and why she had felt Anakin's turn to the Dark Side so acutely.

Plagueis reached out with his hand so he could control the flow of the Force around Padme. He channeled it so he could feel the child she was carrying. "I can't believe I didn't notice this before, but you're pregnant, and with the child of Skywalker." Plagueis was looking at Padme and saw the expressions of both fear and shock on her face. He ignored them for the moment as he probed the child with the Force.

"You are carrying a son, one who is very strong in the Force, just like his father. He is connected to him and felt his turn to the Dark Side." Plagueis used the Sith gift of foresight to take a look into the child's destiny. He closed his eyes so he could see the images the Force was giving him. "While the future is never set, this one is going to have a difficult time avoiding the destiny the Force has for him. I can see him becoming a great and powerful warrior. What side he will be a warrior for is indeterminate. Wait. I am getting an image of an awards ceremony. He is there, not dressed as a Jedi. A medal is being placed around his neck." Plagueis was getting a multitude of images that were confusing him. "No, he's not the one receiving the medal, he's the one handing out the medal. No, that's not it." Plagueis was thoroughly confused at what the Force was revealing to him. "The Force is showing me a different destiny for him. No, it's showing me the destiny of a woman instead."

A smile came across Plagueis's face as he realized what he was seeing. He opened his eyes to look at Padme because he wanted to see her face when he revealed he knew the whole truth. "The Force is showing me the destiny of the boy's twin sister. It appears you are carrying two children." Plagueis paused for a moment to sense the potential of each child. "The boy is extremely powerful in the Force, that much is apparent. The girl has a good deal of power as well, but there appears to be an instinctual desire to hide it, she is trying to mask her strength in the Force." The smile on Plagueis's face broadened as he understood the implications of it. "The ability of a Force user to mask their ability in the Force is a Sith trait. It's a necessity, an attribute that allows us to walk among the Jedi without being detected. Let's see what fate the Force has in store for her."

Once again, Plagueis closed his eyes to see the images the Force was presenting to him. He got an image of her destiny far in the future and hated what he saw. She was surrounded by a large family, and they were all dressed as Jedi. Given what has happening at the moment, the implications of what he was seeing were clear.

Angered, Plagueis opened his eyes as he scowled at Padme. She continued to look at him with an expression of terror on her face. "Is that why you're here? You want my children. You want to raise them as Sith."

The scowl on Plagueis's face grew even more intense as he was angered over Padme's cluelessness. "Raising your children as Sith would be much more trouble than they would be worth. Despite being connected to Anakin and knowing what happened to him, you appear clueless the chaos the galaxy is experiencing at the moment. I am going to be fortunate just to get through it with my life and power intact. I am in no position to be holding you hostage until your kids are born."

The look of utter confusion on the face of Padme told Plagueis he was going to have to inform her of the chaos that was breaking out. First, he couldn't help but vent some of the anger he was feeling towards her. "I want to thank you for showing me just how my former apprentice was able to spend five years working closely with you and you were never able to figure out his real identity and what he was truly planning for the galaxy. Since you don't know everything that happened, I will begin by informing you that your husband was turned to the Dark Side by my former apprentice Darth Sidious, although you know him by his birth name, Sheev Palpatine."

"Palpatine a Sith Lord? It can't be possible."

"It should make perfect sense to you." Plagueis was angry and made no attempt to hide it. "He is the one who spent years preparing for war. He is the one who convinced you to instigate it by liberating your home planet. He is the one who benefited the most from it, by rising to the office of chancellor." Thankfully, the expression on Padme's face seemed to indicate she was realizing how Palpatine had used her.

"I know it must be tough for you to accept that you have been used and manipulated for the past five years. You have worked closely with the chancellor, and all that time he was working towards taking over the Republic while you were trying to save it. The result is Palpatine is now set to be the autocratic ruler of the galaxy. Trust me when I tell you I understand exactly how you feel. I had my own plan in place to rule the galaxy, but Palpatine usurped me. I should probably feel some sense of pride that I selected an apprentice who was shrewd enough to accomplish what he did. He put together his own plan and executed it perfectly. He overtook me, as any Sith apprentice should with his master. I underestimated him and did not anticipate him making a move against me so early. It was the emergence of your husband that ruined everything. His power allowed you to earn a victory in the Battle of Naboo and put my Separatist's on the defensive from the beginning. The original plan was for you to be assassinated shortly after the defeat of your planet, with the unprepared Republic hurrying to take revenge. The decimation of their forces early was to lead them to sue for peace and surrender to me."

There was a look of sadness on Padme's face as she recognized how Palpatine had planned to betray her before he even knew her. Plagueis was actually feeling some genuine sympathy for the girl. "I know how difficult this must be to hear, but it is imperative that you understand who your husband is now following. You have to understand what he has become. If you are looking for any solace in his turn to the Dark Side, take heart in the fact that if he had not become Palpatine's apprentice, he would have been slaughtered in the Jedi Purge that is now taking place."

Padme laughed nervously as she was frightened by what she was hearing while at the same time not believing it. "The Jedi Purge, what's that?"

"It is Palpatine's extermination of the Jedi, that is what it is." Plagueis's tone indicated the seriousness of what he was saying, and Padme seemed to understand it as tears of terror started to well up in her eyes. "I left him in charge of overseeing the construction of the clone army, and he used his position to create the clone army as a death trap for the Jedi. Their minds were embedded with secret orders that were to be carried out at his behest only. One such order is for the clones to turn on their Jedi leaders and slaughter them all." Plagueis had a feeling Padme was going to need some hard proof, so he pulled out his handheld holo-imager and played the message he had just received. "This is a message I just intercepted. It was sent to Commander Rex, the leader of your clone troops here." Plagueis let the message play so Padme could see Palpatine command the troops to carry out Order 66. "In case you can't figure it out, Order 66 is the order for the clones to turn on their Jedi commanders and execute them."

Padme offered no question that Order 66 was what he told her it was. "Are they going to kill Obi-Wan? We have to-" She stopped herself as she realized Damask probably didn't have a problem with the clones killing Obi-Wan.

"Despite what you might be thinking, I have no desire to see the clones kill your Jedi friend. He is on his way here, in fact, and when he gets here, I will allow you to leave with him safely."

"Why would you do that?"

"Because I have plans for you. I intend to hold on to my own slice of the galaxy, but should I fail, I have contingency plans ready to be activated. These contingency plans will enact my revenge against Palpatine and ensure that my Sith legacy replace that of my former apprentice's.

"Your own Sith legacy?" Padme was once again confused.

"Five years ago, when my apprentice and I had our falling out, I took on a new apprentice, ready to carry on the true legacy of the Sith should Sidious manage to eliminate me. While Palpatine has been shrewd in amassing power, there are aspects about him and what he has done that have revealed to me he is not a true Sith. The failure is all mine. I chose the wrong apprentice and failed to give him the proper training. He and Skywalker will not be able to continue the Sith lineage, I believe. Their inevitable downfall could take several decades, but I would like to see it occur within a decade or two, so that my my apprentice might be able to seize their position and rule as a true Sith. That is where you come in to my plan. Despite all your failings, you can still be a very influential and very powerful person in this galaxy. You could start the rebellion against Palpatine, although it is not something that can be done right away. I would advise following the way of the Sith and taking the time to amass the power you need to overthrow him. He is not vulnerable now, his hold on the government is strong, and with the elimination of the Jedi, there is no one with the strength to oppoase him. Wait for the right time to go after Palpatine. He commands all the institutions of the Republic now, but alternatives will grow over time. When those alternatives are strong enough, reveal yourself, and defeat Palpatine and his apprentice. You are going to need patience. Go into hiding, raise your children, and prepare them for a role in your rebellion."

"And let me guess, during all this, your apprentice will be waiting in the wings to seize power for himself in the aftermath of Palpatine's defeat."

"Yes, but you now know what he will be trying. I do not fear you knowing what he will be planning. If I have trained him properly, he will defeat you and rule the galaxy, if I failed to train him properly, then you will defeat him, and the legacy of the Sith will end. Following my plan is the one chance the galaxy has for peace."

As Padme thought over what Plagueis had told her, it all sounded too incredible. They had come to this summit to find out what he had planned with his partner. She never would have suspected that the two Sith Lords would have opposing schemes for ruling the galaxy. Palpatine had carried out his and was set to seize control of the Republic. Now, Plagueis was willing to let her escape so that she may one day overthrow Palpatine and clear the way for his own apprentice to seize power. It seemed like a fool's bargain, other than the fact that it allowed her to leave safely and go into hiding with her unborn children. Right now, that was all she wanted to do. Get away and leave everything behind.

"Padme, it's Obi-Wan." The voice of the Jedi coming through the intercom startled her. "I'm right outside your door and I came to check on you. Please open the door so I can see you're all right."

Panic-stricken, Padme glared at Plagueis, wanting to know what she should do. "Let him in," he said to her with a nod. He looked ready to fight the Jedi, but she had a feeling that was not what he desired. She went ahead and ordered the suite's computer to open the door for him.

When Obi-Wan stepped in, he was startled when he saw Plagueis with his lightsaber activated. He immediately pulled out his and activated it. Holding it in front of him but staying back.

"I don't know what you have planned, but the Secretary is leaving with me." Obi-Wan yelled, speaking with all the anger he could muster.

"I guess you might be pleased to learn then that this is exactly what I have planned." Plagueis gave Obi-Wan a big smile as he replied. He continued to smile, and almost laugh as he saw the Jedi was taken aback and completely confused by what he was hearing. He had been expecting a fight and was disappointed not to get it. He kept eyeing Padme, hoping she would explain the situation to him, but she didn't pick up on what he wanted.

"What's going on here?" he asked.

"You might not have been able to feel it, but your former apprentice, Anakin Skywalker, has been turned to the Dark Side by my former apprentice, Darth Sidious, who you know as Palpatine." Palgueis paused so Obi-Wan could digest the information, and he seemed to get weak for a moment as he composed himself. "Palpatine has just ordered all the clones to eliminate the Jedi. With them out of the picture, he will be able to complete his plan to seize control of the Republic. If you will listen to me, then you can escape here with Secretary Amidala. At the base of this mountain, there is a stealth Sith ship. You can use it to escape in secret."

"Is this what he has been telling you," Obi-Wan's nostrils flared as he glared at Padme. He was sounding angry, because he was really scared over what he was hearing. He didn't want to believe any of it. He didn't want to believe the world he knew was being eliminated.

"Yes, it's what he has been telling me," Padme admitted. Plagueis decided to stay silent and let Padme do what she could to convince him.

"And it could all be lies," Obi-Wan countered. "He might be doing nothing more than trying to get us to mistrust Palpatine. First, he planted evidence to indicate he was sharing information on a superweapon with him. Now, he is trying to make us believe that he has turned Anakin and is trying to seize control of the galaxy. Come with me, Padme. We will radio Coruscant and get to the bottom of what is happening."

"We don't need to do that, because I have been able to sense everything he has been telling me is true." Plagueis saw that to her credit, she was speaking calmly and coolly. All the pain she had appeared to be feeling had left her. She had found a strength that he believed came from accepting what was happening and realizing what role she had to play in the future. She stood as she talked and didn't appear to be weak any longer.

"Anakin has truly turned to the Dark Side," Padme continued. "I know this because the two of us have shared a special connection in the Force ever since we first met. It was a connection that allowed us to feel each other's emotions, read each other's thoughts, and most importantly, secretly communicate with each other no matter how far apart we were." She was slowly walking towards Obi-Wan, trying to place herself between him and Plagueis so the two would be unable to fight.

"The connection between us existed because of the great love we shared. You never knew it, but we married shortly after the Battle of Naboo, and have been carrying on a secret relationship since then. All that is over now, because I was able to feel Anakin embrace the Dark Side through our connection. It has a hold of him, and it is not going to let him go. The man you trained is gone. The man I loved is gone, and with his embrace of the Dark Side he will never be able to love me again."

Padme was now standing right in front of Obi-Wan. Plagueis was surprised by many of the things she was saying. She appeared to embrace what he had told her. "Despite all that, there is hope. Plagueis may not be an ally, but he recognizes we share a common enemy, and he is willing to let us leave so that we may battle this enemy for him."

Obi-Wan looked between Padme and Damask, unsure of what he should believe. Plagueis was anxious, as he knew how difficult it had to be for the Jedi to accept what he was hearing. He reached out with the Force to feel the conflict taking place within him.

In using the Force to probe the Jedi, Plagueis lost sense of his surroundings. Otherwise, he would have noticed the clone troops approaching. They were able to run in and aim their weapons right at Obi-Wan. Padme and Plagueis both saw them, but Obi-Wan had his back turned and wasn't paying them any attention. Luckily for them, Plagueis did notice them and used the Force to start strangling them.

"Release them!" Obi-Wan yelled when he turned around and saw what the Sith was doing.

"They were trying to kill you!" Padme explained. When Plagueis told her Palpatine was using the clones to eliminate the Jedi, she had trouble believing it. Now that she witnessed the clones trying to shoot Obi-Wan, all her doubts disappeared. "It's just like Plagueis described. Palpatine is using the clones to eliminate the Jedi."

"That's what he wants you to believe," Obi-Wan said. The three troopers dropped dead from their strangulation.

"You should leave, Secretary Amidala," Plagueis said, dejected. "It is clear this Jedi is never going to have any trust in me, no matter what. I hope you remember this moment, as it is a clear example of why the Jedi were defeated by the Sith. Take the turbolift to the surface level. My ship is right outside the lone exit."

Padme looked to Obi-Wan, and he nodded to her to indicate she should leave. For a moment, she wanted to continue to protest, and get him to come with her, but she figured that wouldn't happen. She needed to concentrate on getting herself to safety.

"Thank you." Padme said nothing more as she ran out of the room. Despite everything she had said to Damask, she had no intention of following his plans. She had just said what she needed to earn his trust so she would let him leave. She believed she could still turn Anakin back if she could just talk to him. She needed to get somewhere safe. Somewhere away from all the chaos. She ran through the halls, intending to make her way back to where she left the delegation. She needed to make sure they knew what was happening. As she made a turn, she almost ran right into Threepio and Artoo.

"Mistress Padme, we were just looking for you." Threepio's voice was completely even, as he was oblivious to everything that was happening. "We were sent to find you and take you to the landing platform."

"The landing platform, why?"

"Master Bibble has decided we should leave here and seek the safety of the fleet." Padme didn't realize what he knew, but she knew he had made the right decision. They needed to get off the planet. Once they were with the fleet, she could try and contact Anakin. She followed them to the shuttle. As they ran to the shuttles, she wondered whose side Thrawn was on in all this. The man was close to Palpatine, but even as the fleet commander, he was just one man among thousands. He wasn't in any position to do anything to her. She knew she would be taking a chance returning to the fleet, but she had no choice. Right now, going there was the least worst of several bad options.

**...**

Obi-Wan and Plagueis maneuvered around the small suite, each waiting for the other to attack. "Once again, I have to implore you to lay down your weapon." Plagueis wanted to give reasoning with the Jedi one last chance. "We have a common enemy. One we could unite to eliminate."

"Enough with the lies." Obi-Wan charged right at Plagueis. The Sith Lord blocked the thrust and easily took control of the situation. With all the turmoil the Jedi was experiencing, he was fighting wildly and uncontrollably. He had no idea what to do, and it showed. Plagueis maneuvered him so his back was to the window, he then Force pushed him, so he flew right out it and to the ground below. He reached out with the Force to feel Obi-Wan survived the fall but was injured. That was the perfect situation for Plagueis, he could deal with all the other people he had to, then go back to see if he could talk some sense into the Jedi.

**...**

When Padme and the droids reached the landing platform, they found that two of the three shuttles had their landing platforms up already. They entered the last shuttle that still had theirs down, and found they were its first occupants. The pilot smiled to them as he radioed the others, they had Padme, and could return to the fleet.

The shuttles lifted off and flew away. They hadn't gotten far when alarms in every cockpit starting ringing to indicate the Separatists had sent almost every robotic fighter they had after the shuttles. They were coming up from the surface and closing on the shuttles fast. Their fighter escort had time to turn around and engage them, but there were just too many of them. They made it through the fighter escort, and fired on the shuttles, taking out two of them. They had the third one lined up, but reinforcements from the fleet arrived in time to save it. The shuttle made it to the flagship and was directed to land in Thrawn's personal hangar.


	11. Chapter 11: Plagueis's Move

**Chapter 11: Plagueis's Move**

Plagueis walked through the halls oblivious to the events taking place around him. His walk took him to the conference room where the other warlords were waiting for him. He knew they would be inside the main room while their security details stayed just outside.

When Plagueis reached the outer room, he had to do his best to avoid laughing to himself as he walked past all the sentries. Their jobs were to protect their bosses from assassination attempts by the Republic. None of them believed their employers' doom would come from their closest ally.

After passing by the sentries, Plagueis adopted a serious expression on his face. He walked into the main conference room, with the blast doors slamming shut and locking behind him. The warlords were locked inside with him, with no escape. All of them became silent when the man they knew as Hego Damask walked inside. They stared at him as he walked to his seat, but rather than taking it, Plagueis stood behind it and surveyed the room. He looked around at the warlords, to see who was sitting where. He had a particular order he wanted to follow when he killed them.

When he had planned the warlord's execution, he had also prepared a speech to give, to explain who he was, how they had failed him, and why he was killing them. Now, that the moment of execution had arrived, he realized his prepared remarks were pointless.

"I came here ready to give you a lengthy explanation on why I am doing what I am about to do, but it would just be a waste of breath for me to explain my actions." Plagueis scanned the room again as he took out his lightsaber and activated it, holding it up for everyone to see. The looks of surprise on all the faces gave him joy, as did the gasps of shock they made. "All you need to know is my name is Darth Plagueis, I am a Sith Lord, and I am going to kill all of you."

Plagueis had been staring intently at the Neimoidians as he spoke. As they were his first target, he wanted to make sure he didn't miss the looks on their faces when they learned their fate. He was elated to see the looks of utter fear and dread that appeared when they saw the lightsaber and learned their fates. They were one of the few people he dealt with as Plagueis. He was glad that just moments before they were set to die, they were learning that Hego Damask was the Sith lord they had failed five years ago.

It was the failure of the Neimoidians at the Battle of Naboo that had caused Plagueis to select them to be the first to die. He had been waiting years to take his revenge against them for their failures at Naboo. It was their defeat there that had allowed Palpatine to take the upper hand against him and cost him everything.

With glee, Plagueis leapt high into the air as he soared over to where the Neimoidians were seated. Their fight or flight response kicked in and they all turned to try and run away from their attacker. None of them got very far as Plagueis cut them all in half after landing.

After finishing off the Neimoidians, Plagueis blindly leapt to the opposite side of the circular table. The leaders of the Gran Protectorate were the next to die. They had always been a thorn in his side, failing time after time to deliver the forces they had promised him. He cut through them quickly before leaping to a new spot.

Before he started his assault, he had picked his fellow Muuns from the banking clan to be the last to die. They were the ones he had worked with the most over his lifetime, and he wanted them to get a good look at who he really was before he killed them. Many of the Muuns in the room had worked their way up the hierarchy of the banking clan from nothing, and they always resented Hego Damask for being born into his position. He wanted them to see his full power as a Sith lord to put them in their place. It was a way to show them he had achieved more on his own then they ever had.

The slaughter of the warlords took him just a minute. The Muuns were the only ones left, and he stared at them as he held his lightsaber away from his body. He had paused to read their emotions and was surprised by what he found. There was fear there, that was expected, but there was also a contempt for him. He had expected them to respect the display of power they just witnessed. Instead, they seemed to be wondering if he had simply been born into his power in the Force as well. Plagueis was glad to sense the feelings of contempt they had for him, as it made it that much easier for him to slaughter them all.

**...**

After sending out Order 66, Sidious closed his eyes and tried to dull all his senses so he could reach out with the Force. He wanted to feel the lights of the Jedi disappear from the galaxy. It didn't take long for that to happen. The Jedi commanders were being assassinated at the hands of their clone troops. Everything was going just as he had planned. However, it wasn't time to bask in the glow of victory yet. There was still much work to do. This slaughter would not end the Order, as there were numerous Jedi spread throughout the galaxy on missions without clones around them. They would all have to be hunted down individually, a task that would fall to his new apprentice, Darth Vader.

With the slaughter of the Jedi in the temple over, Palpatine could feel the relief emanating from his apprentice over the fact that he was not one of them. He felt an immense amount of pride in being spared by his new master. That pride also came with a sense of gratitude towards Sidious, and that gratitude was making Vader feel a sense of affinity for his new master. Sidious had anticipated it and was pleased with the outcome, as he knew this gratitude and its accompanying affinity would allow him to manipulate his new apprentice into doing whatever he wanted.

Entering a meditative state, Palpatine continued to feel the Jedi being extinguished from the galaxy. The deaths of the Jedi were not the only ones he sensed in the Force. He could feel another slaughter taking place light years away. This one was sending out a surge in Force energy not because anyone Force sensitive was dying, but because a user strong in the dark side was calling on it to enable him to commit the massacre. Darth Plagueis was killing all the Separatist warlords. He would soon be the sole leader of the Separatist movement. When Darth Vader subsequently killed him, the Separatist movement would be dead. When that occurred, almost every system in the known galaxy would be united under his new empire.

**...**

Padme stood in the corner of the shuttle's cargo hold, still shaking over what had occurred. She couldn't believe what she had just witnessed. She had been trying to escape with the others and flying away from the surface when their three shuttles had been attacked by robotic fighters that followed them up from the surface. The robotic fighters had been too much for their escort, and they managed to take out two of the shuttles. Miraculously, the shuttle Padme was on managed to make it through and land on Thrawn's flagship.

She had been so shaken by what occurred that after landing in the hangar, she needed a moment to gather herself. After a moment, she was calm, but feeling claustrophobic and wanted to walk around some. She wanted to leave the shuttle, but the pilot hadn't lowered the landing ramp. It suddenly hit her that Thrawn might have given the pilot orders to keep her on the ship.

There was a good chance Thrawn was in league with Palpatine, and she wondered why she hadn't thought about it earlier. After all, it had been Palpatine who had discovered Thrawn. It would make sense the strange alien from the Unknown Regions had always known everything about his real identity and had always been working with him to seize control of the galaxy. It that were true, then it meant she was in danger.

For a moment, she felt a bit of relief over the thought if Thrawn truly wanted her dead, he could have let the Separatist fighters shoot her down. The relief faded as she knew Palpatine would likely order Thrawn to kill her. Perhaps that was why she was being made to wait in the shuttle, Thrawn was communicating with Palpatine to see what his master wanted him to do.

Summoning up her courage, Padme walked up to the pilot. He was still sitting in his chair, staring out the cockpit window at the blank wall of the hangar. It was unlikely he had any clue what was really going on, but she figured it didn't hurt to ask.

"I was just wondering why you haven't lowered the landing ramp yet. I would like to leave. Were you given any orders to keep me here?"

"Yes, I was." The pilot answered without looking at her. "With everything that happened, the Grand Admiral is worried about your safety. He wants to come down here to speak with you personally and get to the bottom of what is happening."

As she listened to the pilot, she couldn't help but wonder what might happen to him. If she was to be killed, it would be unlikely that he would be left alive as a witness. She wondered if he had a wife or children. She hated to think a family would lose its patriarch all because he had to be silenced over her murder.

Lost in thought, Padme jumped when she heard Thrawn's voice coming from a speaker in the shuttle. "I am outside with Lieutenant Palleon," Thrawn said. "You may lower the ramp and come out with secretary."

The voice sounded pleasant, but authoritative. It was Thrawn's normal tone of voice and didn't exactly give away anything about what might happen. As she heard the landing ramp descending, she thought about Thrawn's mention of Lt. Palleon. She had heard the man's name mentioned as Thrawn's aide-de-camp, but she had not met him yet.

Taking a deep breath, Padme walked down the landing ramp to meet her fate. Artoo started to roll after her, but Padme commanded him to stay on the shuttle. She looked back to see him roll back to where Threepio was. Her heart sank as she wondered what might happen to the two of them. She hoped they would find a good home. Their memories would be erased, but they would still exist.

When she saw Thrawn and Palleon, they were both standing dutifully at attention, trying to act as if nothing was out of the ordinary. Thrawn even bowed to her, as he started to speak. "I am greatly relieved to see-"

"You don't have to try and hide what is really happening," she said as she interrupted the Grand Admiral. "Damask revealed everything to me. He informed me that Palpatine was his Sith partner, and that he is currently seizing control of the Republic. Given your long history with him, I can guess that you knew his real identity all along, and have been aiding him in his quest for power. If that is the case, then you must have orders from him on what you are to do with me."

"I am thankful we can just cut to the chase. The truth is, I don't have orders on what to do with you, but I did. You might not have met my aide-de-camp, this is Lieutenant Gilead Palleon." Thrawn nodded his head in the direction of his subordinate as he referred to him. "He defected from the Separatists when he realized they didn't have the resources to compete with the Republic and would lose the war in the long run. He was a very valuable addition to our forces, as he understands the code that runs the Separatist droid systems. It was Palpatine's idea to wait to utilize his services in that area until the proper moment came along. He always knew that if Anakin turned to the Dark Side, you would seek to flee to the fleet once you found out about it. The plan was to commandeer the droid fighters and have them shoot you down so that it would appear the Separatist's were behind your death."

For a moment, Padme was apprehensive as she wasn't sure what was going to happen next. She didn't realize if failing to shoot her down had been part of a plan Thrawn had himself, or they had failed in their attempt to kill her.

"We could have shot your shuttle down, with the others, but Palleon had convinced me days ago that we should let you live."

Padme almost shrieked in elation that he appeared to be on her side. She had to know for sure where he stood. "Does this mean you've broken from Palpatine?"

"On this issue, yes, but not on anything else." He glanced over at Palleon as he spoke. "If you will allow me a moment to explain. I came to this region from my nation because we feared the breakdown in order that was taking place was going to cause us problems. I was simply sent on a fact-finding mission, but when Palpatine found me, and revealed to me who he was, and how he was going to restore order to the galaxy, I jumped at the chance to join him. Now, as you have seen, and have been able to feel, he has accomplished everything he has set out to do. With the return to order, my nation should remain isolated from yours and undisturbed by it. At least, that was always the plan, as I was promised by Palpatine that once he gained power, he would not seek expansion into the Unknown Regions."

Thrawn paused to glance over to Palleon once again. "You have Palleon to thank for your life being spared. He convinced me that Palpatine was not exactly the kind of man who would live up to his word. While my nation wants to see this region of the galaxy calm, a little instability might help keep it from expanding and clashing with us. That is why I agreed with him that you should be allowed to live. I sent my most trusted pilot, Commander Fel, down to the surface. He was to make sure you flew up in his shuttle, and then we could shoot down the other two, but tell everyone you were on one of the shuttles that was destroyed."

"So, you let me live. What do you have planned for me?"

"I know how you must feel about the impending takeover of the Republic by Palpatine. I want you to set in motion a rebellion against him. Not immediately, as right now he will be riding a wave that will be too great for you to stop. After a few years of calm however, when the people see what kind of ruler he really is, there will be those who want to rise and overthrow him. That is where I think you should come in. It would greatly benefit my nation if you were to be a thorn in his side. Not enough so that you overthrow him and cause chaos once again. Just keep him occupied enough that he will not be able to try and expand into my region of the galaxy."

As Padme listened to Thrawn, she noted how much of what he said sounded just like what Damask had been telling her. It was almost as if they were reading from the same script. There was something else that she thought of, and she just had to ask about it.

"During all this, where are you going to be? Are you going to be working for Palpatine, making sure he doesn't expand into your home?"

"No, it was never my intention to stay here permanently. There are truly many ways I have come to admire Palpatine and the way he runs things, and I think my nation would do very well to emulate many of them. I intend to stay here and help Palpatine establish his empire, then I will return to my nation to try and establish a similar regime there. During the time I am still here, I would expect you to disappear and lay low. If anyone was to find out what I did, and let you live, Palpatine would have me executed. If you will agree to my demands, this shuttle is yours to take and go into hiding. If I were you, I would keep the ship around, as I will send a message to you when I am close to leaving for my home. At that time, I will contact you and inform you that you may emerge from hiding. Can you agree to all that?"

Padme realized she really didn't have much choice. If she didn't agree to his terms, she would be killed on the spot. He was never going to let her leave without some assurance it would not come back to his detriment.

"I agree to your terms. I will leave and stay hidden until you contact me. I give you my word. I agree with you that opposing Palpatine now would not be a wise choice. I have seen personally the massive support he has. It will take a long time for the people to want to overthrow him. Any resistance will have to be built slowly. I will remain hidden until you depart. Even when I do emerge, I will only be working in the shadows. I will not have any desire to call unnecessary attention to myself."

"The shuttle is yours, then." Thrawn bowed to her. It was a gesture copied by Lieutenant Palleon and Commander Fel, who had come down to join them. She bowed back to them before ascending the ramp to the shuttle. When Threepio greeted her, he asked her where they were going.

"Away," she replied simply. Taking control of the shuttle, she started the engines and flew the shuttle out of the hangar. Thrawn had flown the flagship away from the rest of the fleet so that no one would notice the shuttle leaving. She went to punch in a destination on the nav computer but drew a blank on where she should go. She started to think about just what she should do. Now, that she was away from Thrawn, she was under no obligation to live up to her word. If she could find Anakin, and turn him back, she could end everything. Doing so was a great risk, if Anakin was truly lost, then he was a danger not just to her, but to her unborn children. Right now, her children were the most important thing to her. She was going to have to do exactly what she told Thrawn, lay low, give birth to her twins, then go from there. She needed a place where no one would realize who she was. There was only one place she thought of, the place she had hidden once before when she needed to avoid being found. She punched in Tatooine as her destination, and when the nav computer was finished with the calculations she sent the ship into hyperspace.

**...**

Anakin stared out the window at the Jedi Temple. From this vantage point, there was no sign of the massacre that had just been completed inside its walls.

"It is fortunate there is no sign of what occurred inside the temple." Palpatine had sensed what was on Anakin's mind. "Any sign of trouble would have alerted others to what happened. I need the time to put together a presentation for the Senators. I need to state the case of how the Jedi betrayed the Republic, and why they needed to be eliminated."

"Windu was going to execute you. He was assuming a power the Jedi are not supposed to possess. I witnessed it all. I can make the case to the Senators."

"Please do not see this as any slight." Palpatine sounded apologetic as he talked. "But It is best for you not to have any role in presenting the case to the Senators."

"Is it because I might still be seen as a Jedi, despite my conversion to the Sith?"

"No, not necessarily. The role I desire for you is not to be my public partner, not yet. I wish for you to be my silent but unseen enforcer. It will be enough for the Senators to see that you were the Jedi who came to save my life. They will not be told of your identity as Anakin Skywalker, they will only know of you as Darth Vader. Your heroism in saving my life will just be the first of your exploits, and it will barely register with the public given what I have set for you to do next.

While the Jedi were being slaughtered, I could feel that Plagueis was massacring the other Separatist warlords, just as we had planned. He is now the sole leader of that side, and if he dies the Separatist movement will die with him. That is your task, to kill him and the entire Separatist movement along with him. Go to Geonosis and battle him. I know you are more powerful than he is, and you will defeat him. With his death, the entire galaxy will be united under our leadership.

Vadar walked up to his new master before he bowed to him. "I will do as you wish, my master." Palpatine simply smiled at him as Vader walked past him and out of the office.

**...**

Obi-Wan hobbled around the base of the mountain. After being pushed out the window, he had used the Force to cushion his fall, but still landed awkwardly enough to injure his ankle. He tried to channel the Force to ease his pain, but wasn't able to give the injury his full attention, as he needed to us the Force to scan his surroundings for danger.

As he walked, Obi-Wan thought of the conversation he just had with Damask. Palpatine being a Sith Lord sounded incredible but made a certain amount of sense. As for the eradication of the Jedi, that sounded impossible. It could have easily been a trick by Damask, but he couldn't figure out what his angle would be. It didn't make sense for Damask to tell such a ridiculous lie.

For the moment, Obi-Wan had one thought on his mind. Find the Sith ship Damask had told them about. He wasn't sure if it would be safe for him to take, but right now, it was the only thing that could get him off the ground. It was painful for him to walk the distance he needed, but he found the ship right where Damask had said it would be. The landing ramp was down and while it looked safe to enter, he still approached it cautiously. His Jedi senses told him everything was okay, so he boarded the ship and made his way to the cockpit. The ship's computer obeyed all his commands, and he was able to use it to read all the communications flying around the system. He was astounded by what he found out. First, the Republic delegation, including Padme, had tried to leave the surface only to be shot down by the Separatists. Obi-Wan couldn't believe that Padme was dead, just like that.

The news of Padme's death was not the most remarkable communication he came across. He was able to read the messages of the Republic fleet. They were sending out a message that came directly from Palpatine. He had declared the Jedi the enemies of the Republic and was ordering them to be shot on sight. The message didn't mention him personally, but he knew he was the intended target of the message, as he was the only Jedi in the system.

Activating the engines, Obi-Wan hoped the ship had all the attributes Damask claimed. He activated the ship's cloaking device and hoped for the best. He was apprehensive as flew through the fleet blockading the planet, but he made it through undetected. Once clear of the planet's gravity well, he disappeared into hyperspace.


	12. Chapter 12: Duel of the Sith

**Chapter 12: Duel of the Sith**

As the Coruscant sun completed its rise, the capital area was bustling with activity. Every Senator was making their way to the Senate hall. A special session had been called, but few of them knew the true reason for it. Only a few of Palpatine's closest allies, as well as some of his biggest detractors, had been informed of the assassination attempt on his life by the Jedi and his rescue by his new enforcer, Darth Vader.

While the information on the Jedi's attempted execution and their subsequent slaughter had been shared with just a small number of senators initially, the news was starting to spread among all the members of the legislative body. They were finding out about the Jedi attempt on the life of Palpatine and how he had been saved by a Jedi that had turned on his own Order. They were also finding out that in order to prevent the Jedi from finishing the job and seizing control of the Republic, they had to be eliminated.

The fact the Jedi were gone, eliminated in an instant, was something that was difficult for many of them to wrap their heads around. The Jedi had been the protectors of the Republic for generations. Everyone assumed they would always be around. It seemed impossible for them to just be gone. There were many who had questions about what Palpatine had done on his own, with no consultation with anyone else. Fortunately for Palpatine, the video he sent out of the Jedi's assassination attempt revealed to everyone his actions were justified.

What everyone saw in the video was unbelievable. The Jedi, led by Mace Windu, accused Palpatine of being a Sith Lord. It was outrageous, and Palpatine acted remarkably in remaining calm while trying to talk some sense into the Jedi. When they accused him of murdering his guards with a lightsaber, he calmly pointed out he had no such weapon. Windu was frustrated to be caught in a lie, but couldn't turn back. He continued with his insane accusations, finally telling Palpatine he was too dangerous to be allowed to live. Everyone watching the video knew if Palpatine had truly been a Sith Lord, he would have made a move to defend himself, but being just a normal person, he was powerless to fight the Jedi.

Windu raised his lightsaber to kill the chancellor. Once again, if Palpatine had possessed the power to save himself, he would have done so then, but he couldn't. He would have been slaughtered, but a rogue Jedi came to his defense. This Jedi killed his masters, saving not just Palpatine's life, but the Republic. Everyone understood the implications of what would have happened if the Jedi had been successful. With the Republic leaderless, they would have seized power under the claims the nation had been under the influence of a Sith Lord and their autocratic leadership would be needed to overcome that influence.

For centuries, the Jedi had been using the specter of the Sith to instill fear in the Republic and use that fear to maintain their own power and influence. They had been successful in their ruse, but their success had made them arrogant, and they had gone too far. Everyone recognized their attempt to seize control of the galaxy was a sign the entire order was dangerous. Palpatine had been justified in eliminating them.

As the senators filed into the legislative hall, their emotions were mixed. Many of them were weary because of the gravitas of the moment and the remarkable changes to the Republic that had taken place overnight. Others were elated the Jedi had been eliminated and were looking forward to using the situation to their advantage. With the Jedi gone, there was a power vacuum, and every ambitious senator was brainstorming how they might be able to occupy it.

At the foremost of everyone's thoughts was what new power arrangement would rise from the death of the Jedi. While all government authority had rested in the Senate, the Jedi had always been the great moral authority of the Republic. At one time, public opinion could be swayed from one direction to the next by the decisions of the Jedi Council. Over the years, that moral authority declined so much it was almost completely lost. With the loss of the Jedi's authority came a newfound skepticism of the Republic itself, and the authority its government wielded.

There were many who were hungry for a new order and looked forward to the installation of one. The problem was, no one seemed to know just what this new order should be. For that reason, they were all anxious to hear what Palpatine had to say. They were anticipating that he was going to present a new order for the nation.

**...**

In the office of the chancellor, Palpatine paced around and practiced his speech. Every holo-viewer in his office was showing an image of a different entrance to the senate hall. The entrances were full of senators filing in. The crowd looked to be greater than any senate gathering Palpatine could remember. Every senator appeared to be bringing along every aide they had. The sight of the crowd made Palpatine smile. It seemed that everyone understood something momentous was going to happen that day, and they all wanted to witness it.

Palpatine had never been one to get emotional over anything, but this moment was an exception. Today was to mark the culmination of a plan put into place by Darth Bane over a thousand years ago. The seizing of power Sidious was about to make would give the Sith the rulership they had been building towards ever since the rule of two was initiated.

There was only one thing that could derail the plan to any degree, the failure of his new apprentice to defeat his old master, Darth Plagueis. He needed to be able to declare the war over and the Separatist movement dead in order to win the support of the both the Senate and the citizenry. The glory of such a victory would earn him the adoration and the trust of both the politicians and the people, and he was hoping the momentum would lead to his acceptance as the emperor of the new order. Besides that, Plagueis remaining alive would mean a divided galaxy. Sidious had no desire to rule only part of the nation, he wanted it all.

**...**

The moment Vader's ship came out of hyperspace, he was hailed by Thrawn himself. The grand admiral wasted no time in filling him in on the situation.

"Greetings, Lord Vader. I am pleased to be the first official of the Republic to have the pleasure of working with you. Chancellor Palpatine sent me a message informing me of your exploits in saving his life from an assassination attempt by the Jedi. Ever since I came to this region of the galaxy, I knew the Jedi were untrustworthy and dangerous. Their attempt on the life of the chancellor did not surprise me in the least. The galaxy owes you an enormous amount of gratitude for turning against your Order and saving the life of the chancellor."

"Your accolades are acknowledged, but unnecessary," Vader said to him. He couldn't help but wonder if Thrawn already knew his real identity. He didn't see why Palpatine would have kept that information from him. They would meet face to face soon enough and he would know the truth. It appeared that Thrawn was putting on a show for the rest of the fleet in order to keep the secret of who he had once been. Palpatine had meant it when he told him Vader was to operate in secrecy, with no one knowing who he had truly been before he saved the life of the chancellor. While Vader had at first been disappointed that operating in secrecy would fail to give him the notoriety he desired, he was beginning to see the benefit in Palpatine's plan. As Vader, he had a chance to make a fresh start. If people knew too much about his past as a Jedi and as Anakin Skywalker, they might fail to understand he was now a Sith who followed a much different set of rules and would not hesitate to kill in order to impose his will. He had a better chance of being feared the less they knew about his past.

"If Palpatine warned you I was coming, then he must have informed you why I was coming. I am here to eliminate Hego Damask. I simply need to know his location, if you have it."

"We have been in control of the skies of the planet ever since the attack and have been monitoring the mountain where the summit had been held. No transports have left, meaning that Damask is still most likely there. We can provide you with an escort to the surface if you are afraid he might try and shoot you out of the sky."

"I do not require an escort," Vader replied. "I can handle anything he might try and throw at me." As he replied, he was going over in his mind what Thrawn had said to him. He made reference to some kind of attack that had occurred. He wondered what it was. There was something in the tone of his voice that seemed out of place, especially for the grand admiral. He sounded apprehensive, when Vader had never known him to be anything other than supremely confident.

"I am not aware of this attack that you are referring to. Can you inform me of what occurred?"

"We had received a message that the entire delegation sought to leave the summit. We sent down the perquisite three shuttles along with a fighter escort. Everything went okay after the shuttle landed, as the delegation boarded without incident. However, after they took off and attempted to return to the ship, they were attacked by a swarm of ships that made their way up from the surface. They overwhelmed the fighter escort and destroyed two of the shuttles before reinforcements were able to arrive. The one shuttle that made it through carried no passengers. The entire delegation was wiped out, including Secretary Amidala.

To the surprise of Vader, he felt no emotion over hearing about the death of his wife. When he turned to the dark side, he had done so with the expectation his wife would no longer want to have anything to do with him, and he was okay with that. With her gone, he found himself free. Trying to hold on to her would have only prevented him from becoming the Sith the galaxy needed him to be.

"Thank you for informing me of the situation," Vader said. "If they try something like that with me, I will radio you for back-up, but I am fairly certain I will not require it. Once Damask is dead, I will request a force to assist me in taking over the planet. Have a surface invasion force at the ready. They will be under my command. I assume that is not a problem.

"No, it is not," Thrawn replied.

After ending the transmission with the admiral, Vader smiled to himself. He wondered if Plagueis realized it was futile to try and attack him before he landed. He had always been the best pilot in the galaxy, and with the power of the dark side at his disposal, it would be impossible to shoot him down. Plagueis would have only been sacrificing his fighters and the lives of his pilots.

When he reached the atmosphere of the planet, Vader could feel someone touching his mind through the Force. It was Plagueis, sending him instructions on just where he could be found. He sent him an image of a droid factory, with the Muun standing and waiting on the catwalks that contained the main controls for it.

Vader was glad Plagueis wanted to face him one on one. He wondered if it was because the Sith wanted the pleasure of fighting him by himself, or because he was looking to try and convince him to leave Palpatine and partner with him. Vader only wanted one thing, to kill Plagueis and unite the galaxy.

Flying over the red landscape of Geonosis, Vader had the thought it was very similar to his former homeworld of Tatooine. The planet looked bleak and desolate, although not nearly as flat as the topology of the deserts of Tatooine. He thought it was fitting that this world would be the place of his coming out as Vadar.

Vader circled around the mountain before landing. As he circled, he reached out with the Force to feel that they were the only two beings in the area. Everyone else had either fled or been killed. The two of them had privacy, something that seemed fitting to him.

Landing the plane at the base of the mountain, Vader found a door that had been cut into the side and walked through it. Once inside, he paused to try and sense if Plagueis had any surprises waiting for him. When it seemed like the coast was clear, he continued walking, keeping his Force senses tuned for any hint of a preliminary attack.

The hallway Vader walked down led to the hollow center of the mountain, which held the massive battle droid factory. When he reached it, he looked out and could both feel and see Plagueis standing on the opposite side, on top of a platform. The Muun's height made him easy to see. He was completely motionless with his hands behind his back, making it appear he was nothing more than a statue.

While Vader could have simply walked across the factory floor, it would have taken longer than he would have liked. In a single leap he made it across the vast factory, landing at the foot of the stairs that led up to the platform Plagueis was standing on.

"Did you expect me to find that impressive?" Plagueis yelled down to him with a tone of disgust. "Any Jedi youngling could have made that jump."

As Vader ascended the stairs, he pulled out his lightsaber and activated it, holding it out straight and away from his body. "I did not do that to impress you, and I am insulted you would think I would believe that would impress you. I hope you understand just how powerful I am. When I kill you, I don't want it to be because you underestimated me. I want to beat you at your best, and not merely because you let your guard down. I am a Sith on the same level as you, I hope you realize that."

"You are powerful in the dark side Skywalker, but you are no Sith."

When Vader reached the platform, he pulled in his lightsaber and held it with both hands in front of himself. Plagueis pulled out his and did the same thing. The fiery red light of Plagueis's saber contrasted with the calm blue of Vader's. As Vader stared at his opponent, he couldn't help but become furious over Plagueis's words that he was no Sith.

"You are gravely mistaken that I am not a Sith. I have been utilizing the dark side my entire life, with no training from anyone. My new master understands my power and has inducted me as a full Sith."

"As the real Sith master in this galaxy, I will follow my own council on who is and is not a Sith. If you think raw power in the dark side makes you a Sith, then you do not understand what our order is, and are just proving you are not a Sith."

"It looks like we have an opportunity with this duel to see just how is the true Sith," Anakin said.

"I hope you are not acting under the mistaken belief that killing me will make you a Sith. That kind of barbarism is a Sith heresy that was squelched by the immediate successors of Darth Bane, who established that the pathway to becoming a Sith does not come from anything as banal as fighting skill, but from the resourcefulness shown in acquiring power and advancing his own interests. I am aware you have utilized the Dark Side before, but despite that, you have not shown any of the traits that I would expect a Sith to possess."

"Perhaps you haven't heard enough about my exploits." Vader was fearful and doing his best to keep it from coming through. He had to fight to keep his lightsaber steady in his hands. "Years ago, when I was just a teen, I single handidly freed myself and my friends from a lifetime of slavery."

"Yes, I heard about that. Your actions were nothing more than those of a scared little boy going up against weak, small-time slaveholders on a backwater-"

Vader had to move quickly to block the attack of Plagueis as he charged right at him. He had been expecting the Muun to attack while he believed he was distracted. Believing he had time, Plagueis swung wide at Vader, but Vader brought up his lightsaber just in the nick of time to blunt Plagueis's thrust. Plagueis did his best to push against Vader's saber, calling on the dark side to summon all the strength he could muster. Vader held his saber steady using his own strength. He had no need to call on the Force to aid him. Instead, he channeled the Force to push back his opponent. The Force push didn't do a lot, but it was just enough to throw Plagueis off his balance. Vader pressed his advantage and made several thrusts at Plagueis. He blocked each of Vader's attacks but had to take a step back with each one. For the moment, Vader was getting the better of Plagueis, but it was a situation that would not last long.

**...**

As the podium ascended from the floor of the Senate Hall, Palpatine looked around at all the pods surrounding him. They were holding three times as many beings as they normally did. The crowd was expecting a momentous speech, and Palpatine was ready to deliver it. They had come knowing that this moment would be legendary and mythic in the foreseeable future, and they didn't want to miss it.

Palpatine had to remind himself that his ascension to emperor was far from a done deal. He still needed to be able to declare complete victory in the war in order to win over any skeptics he might have. He needed his new apprentice to come through for him. He took a moment to reach out with the Force and was able to sense the fight between his old master and his new apprentice had begun.

The Senate hall was still raucous with the voices of the huge crowd talking amongst themselves. While he waited for them to silence themselves, he rotated his pod around, looking for the right group to focus on when he began his speech. When he found a cluster of human senators, he stopped the pod's rotation and waited to begin.

**...**

As the two Sith parried, Vader pushed Plagueis back against the rocky wall that marked the end of the factory. Vader thought he had an opening to finish off his opponent and took a swing with his saber. Plagueis avoided the killing blow by ducking and rolling around Vader. He had not thought the tall Munn would be able to get as low to the ground as he did, and his blade swung over the Sith's body.

In the middle of Plagueis's roll, Vader realized he had made a grave mistake. His momentum left him vulnerable to an attack from behind. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Plagueis get to his feet and jab his lightsaber in the direction of Vader's back. Knowing he couldn't bring his lightsaber around to block, he avoided it the only way he could. He ran straight to the wall, and with the aid of the Force walked up it before flipping around. He flipped in the direction towards Plagueis, who tried to take a swing at him in the air. Vader blocked it with his saber before landing. Plagueis took another swing, trying to hit him right as he landed. Vader managed to block this attack as well, and for the moment, the two Sith stared at each other as they pushed their saber's together.

"You are a skilled fighter, that is without question." The voice of Plagueis was calm and steady despite the physical exertion. "You are definitely the best Sidious has sent after me." From the look on Vader's face, Plagueis could tell he had no idea what he was talking about.

"Perhaps I should explain what I am referring to. When Sidious turned against me, he knew he would never be able to kill me himself. Because of that, he sent other fighters after me." From the expression that appeared on Vader's face, Plagueis could tell the man was unable to believe what he was hearing.

"Do you really think that you are the first Sidious sent after me?" In his anger, Vader tried to attack Plagueis once again. Plagueis calmly blocked each attack. As the two parried, Plagueis continued to talk.

"The first one Sidious sent was a Zabrak from Dathomir he had been training for a while. I had known about this man for years, having agreed to let Sidious train him as a Sith assassin. He was never meant to be anything other than a fighter, but after our falling out, Sidious convinced him he could be a true Sith, despite having no Force skills other than fighting. When he came after me, I saw his martial skills were second to none, but his failings in utilizing the Force made him easy pickings.

The two fighters paused for a moment. Plagueis expected Vadar to ask a question or two. When he didn't, Plagueis continued the fight. The two lightsabers clashed again and again as he explained to Vader the second Sith trainee who had been sent to dispose of him.

"After the Zabrak, Sidious learned his lesson, and sent after me someone much more attuned to the Force. You might have heard of him, as he left the Jedi order right as you joined." Plagueis stayed silent for a moment to see Vader's reaction, and the puzzled expression told him he couldn't quite think of who he was talking about.

"There are not many Jedi who have left the Order. Even you should have known I was referring to Master Dooku, who after leaving the Order reclaimed his noble birthright and became Count Dooku. It was the death of his former padawan Qui-Gon that served as the trigger to push him over the edge and convince him the Jedi were near collapse. He left to try and find an alternative path for bringing order to the galaxy. His journey led him to the discovery of Palpatine's Sith identity, and he confronted him about his role in the death of Qui-Gon. To the credit of my one-time apprentice, Sidious turned him, winning him over to his cause. He made a Sith out of him. While he became a follower of the dark side, his instincts were still those of a Jedi. When he desperately needed to call on the power of the dark side, the mental blocks the Jedi had instilled in him held, and he fell by my hand."

The fury of their parrying reached a crescendo. Plagueis could sense the turmoil in Vader's mind. He thought he had succeeded in distracting the man. He thought his mind was occupied with questions about Sidious and what he really meant to his new master. He thought he had an opening to take a kill shot and end it, but Vadar managed to recover and block it, as his mind proved not to be as clouded as Plagueis had believed.

Switching strategies, Plagueis attempted flattery. "I have to admit; you have proven that Sidious learned the lessons of his previous two failures. He corrected his mistakes with you, as you are certainly the best combination of the other two men who were sent to kill me. You have all the martial skill of the Zabrak, as well as a control of the Force that is at least the equal of Dooku. Unlike the two of them, I can feel that you have a control of the dark side they didn't. You are fighting on instincts, and your natural ability to channel the dark side is coming through and allowing you to equal my Force power. If you were my apprentice, I would be quite proud of you."

Vader had been channeling the dark side through the fear he was feeling. The words of assurance Plagueis gave him dissipated his fear for a moment, decreasing his ability to call on the dark side. Plagueis felt this and used the opportunity to rush right at Vader. Vader blocked the attack he made with his lightsaber, but that was not Plagueis's intent with the charge. He wanted to get right next to Vader, and when he was, he gave him a Force-aided kick that stunned Vader and sent him flying up in the air.

As Vadar flew away, Plagueis reached out with the Force and called Vader's lightsaber to him. With Vader still stunned by the blow, his saber flew into Plagueis's hand with no resistance. Vader himself flew until he landed in the center of the factory floor. Plagueis was right on his tail, making the leap to land in the same place he had seen Vader land. The man was nowhere to be found. Plagueis looked around as he smiled. He had not been expecting him to run and hide like that. It made him wonder if the man was quite what he had believed him to be.

**...**

When the Senate hall finally reached complete silence, Palpatine began his speech. "I know the protocol of this great legislative body should require me to begin with a long line of bland pleasantries, but given the seriousness of this special session I hope none of you will mind if I just cut right to the chase and begin with the business of this meeting. I know some of you have already been told by my office what occurred last night. I am sure all of you have at least heard the rumors of what transpired. I am here to tell you, that last night, the Jedi tried to assassinate me. As many of you know, I have always kept an open office during this time of turmoil and war. I wanted to convey calm. I wanted to show that despite the war, the home front was stable, that we had nothing to worry about going about our normal day. I was never blind to the possibility that someone seeking to do me harm could just walk in and do so, but it was a chance I was willing to take in order to send the right message of fortitude to the citizenry. Never, in my wildest dreams, would I ever believe the Jedi Order, who I had always believed sought nothing other than to protect its citizens, would be the ones who would come to do me harm."

For a moment, Palpatine paused as he bit his lip in order to look pained by the betrayal he suffered at the hands of the Jedi. "I am very fortunate to still be alive. The only reason I survived was because one brave Jedi stood against his Order and saved my life. As some of you have seen in the video I released to you, this Jedi had to kill the assassin squad in my office. I would be doing this brave Jedi-" Palpatine made a planned pause to snicker to himself, acting like he had caught himself in an authentic mistake. "This man is no Jedi. The Jedi are nothing more than the enemies of the Republic now, and this man is no enemy and should not be referred to as one. He should be referred to by the new name he took after renouncing the Jedi, Darth Vader." Palpatine paused once again to let the name linger in the minds of the audience. "No matter what happens from here on out, let it be known that Darth Vader is a hero that deserves to be remembered for what he has done. He has displayed a level of bravery that should be honored and emulated."

**...**

Standing in the last spot he had seen Vader, Plagueis took a cursory look around to see if he could spot his opponent. When he was certain he was safe for a moment, Plagueis concentrated as he called on the dark side of the Force. It only took him a second to locate the concentration of dark side energy that was Vader. He started walking towards the Force beacon, simultaneously smiling and sighing. He was happy the fight would soon be over but sighing it would end like this. Vader failing to realize he could be tracked with the Force was not the kind of mistake a Sith should make. He was disappointed Sidious had ever believed this man had the attributes to be a Sith.

Quietly, Plagueis walked slowly as he neared the spot where he felt Vader's Force presence. He was apparently hiding against a large piece of machinery. He hadn't moved for a while. Plagueis wondered what he was waiting for, but it didn't matter, he would soon be dead.

While he could have peaked around the corner to get a glimpse of Vader, he refrained as he was afraid that was the one thing that might give away his presence. Instead he charged around the corner right as he activated his lightsaber. He was moving so fast he had completed his attack before he realized Vader was not there at all. His eyes grew wide as he stared at the empty space, realizing what had happened. It was almost impossible, but Vader had projected a Force presence elsewhere. Plagueis laughed as he marveled at the affinity for the dark side Vader was displaying. Perhaps he was a worthier opponent then he had previously believed.

With all the thoughts going through his mind, Plagueis failed to consider Vader was nearby and would attack him. Vader slammed right into Plagueis, pressing him against the large machine. He grabbed his lightsaber back from where it was hanging on Plagueis's belt before jumping away again. Plagueis had to shake his head that the man had failed to take full advantage of the surprise he had. He could have ended everything right there but didn't realize how much he had stunned Plagueis. Despite that, he should have been bold and taken the chance. It was remarkable Vader would make an amateurish mistake. He seemed to still be following his Jedi instincts, which would have forbidden such a kill as that.

Recovering quickly, Plaguies was able to run out to see Vader flying through the air and landing on the same platform where their fight had started. With no reason to hurry, he walked towards the platform, knowing his opponent would wait for him.

**...**

"After the attempt on my life had been thwarted, I knew a move against the Jedi had to be made. Once they found out their assassination attempt had failed, they would have to instigate a full-scale resurrection against this government. They would have to seize the reins of power just to save their Order. Lucky for us, my clone troopers were embedded with the Jedi everywhere, not just out in the field where they were under their command, but in the temple, where they had been providing security.

I wasted no time in calling all the clone commanders and informing them they would have to arrest the Jedi. It was a painful order to give, as I knew there would not be a single Jedi who would permit themselves to be arrested. I know many of you think of the clones as little more than biological droids, but to me, they were the same as any other sentient. It caused me great pain to think I was giving them an order that would very well lead to their elimination. To my great surprise, the clones proved to be more able than even I could have dreamed. Every single Jedi resisted their arrest, and every single one met their end at the hands of a clone. I know many of you have heavy hearts over such a great loss of life, especially one that led to the elimination of an entire group of people. I must remind you, that with the great loss of life we have seen in this war, the number of Jedi killed adds just a fraction to the overall total. The fact that you feel so much sorrow for them, but not all the other millions killed, just shows the overinflated stature the Jedi enjoyed in this universe. They were never anything more than private citizens, and it was always a failure of this democracy they were given the role they were in directing the actions of this government. If that hasn't alleviated your sorrow, might I also remind you the Jedi could have easily allowed themselves to be arrested, and face a trial where they could present their side to explicate themselves. They chose not to face the courts, as they knew they would lose. They all chose their fates.

The Republic was fortunate to have the clones embedded with the Jedi. Their programmed obedience to the government, rather than the Jedi, allowed them to carry out a task that any other being, who had been raised to revere the Jedi, would not have been able to do. Despite the events of last night, there are still many Jedi out there. Not all of them were embedded with clone troopers. Many of them were out on normal missions. These Jedi are now enemies of the Republic, and will have to be hunted down and arrested, although I doubt any will come willingly. Darth Vader has pledged to lead the effort against these wayward Jedi, once he has finished with the immediate task at hand. The Jedi attempt on my life was not the only fire that flared up last night. The peace summit broke out in chaos. With the slaughter of the Jedi, it has gone almost unnoticed that Secretary Amidala and her entire diplomatic party was slaughtered by the forces of the Separatists last night."

Palpatine's revelation was truly news to the Senate. The hall became loud and raucous as everyone started howling over the loss of the beloved politician. Palpatine had to pause and wait for everyone to quiet down once again.

**...**

As Plagueis walked up the stairs to the platform, he took note of how their positions were reversed from earlier. Vader was on the platform, looking down at Plagueis as he ascended the stairs with his lightsaber drawn. Just as before, though, Plagueis did all the talking.

"You have some remarkable skill in the Force. That is without question. However, there is a tentativeness to you. You follow the moral order of the Jedi still. You will never be a Sith until you abandon that. I believe it is so instilled in you though, that you will never overcome it."

The words of Plagueis had the desired effect. Vader was angered. Instead of waiting for Plagueis to come to him, he charged down the steps. He attacked with the Force, but wildly and with no strategy. Plagueis easily blocked his initial attacks before winning the upper hand and putting him on the defensive. Vader fled by leaping from the stairs to a nearby conveyor belt.

Following Vader, Plagueis jumped up on to the wide conveyor belt and pressed his attack. The two lightsabers clashed against each other as their wielders wove around the droids sitting on the stopped conveyor. Trying to get an advantage, Vader cut apart several of the droids and used the Force to toss the pieces at Plagueis, hoping to distract him. The strategy failed as Plagueis was able to use his lightsaber to cut apart the droid pieces while still pressing his attack against him.

Unbeknownst to Plagueis, Vader was in complete control of the situation. He was letting Plagueis take the initiative and push him back. He was hoping he could lead the Sith into an advantageous position. He figured if the Sith believed he was winning; he would make a careless move that would leave him open to a fatal blow.

After leading him down the conveyor belt for a good distance, Vader pledged to make his move. There was a catwalk that ran parallel to the conveyor belt. Vader figured if he could jump up on that, Plagueis would follow him and jump up on the catwalk as well. To Plagueis's surprise, Vader would be ready for it, and take a kill shot at the Sith while he was still in the air.

After Vader made the short leap, he readied himself to make the finishing attack. What he had failed to realize was Plagueis, with his immense height and long legs, would not have to jump over to the catwalk to reach him. He was simply able to step from the conveyor to the catwalk, straddling the area between them with one foot still on the conveyor while the other was on the catwalk. He swung his saber at Vader with fury. This time he had the real advantage, and Vader was in trouble. He could barely move fast enough to block each attack. After blocking a few attacks, he failed to block one. Plagueis's saber sliced through Vader's right arm, sending it, with Vader's lightsaber still clutched in its hand, falling to the ground below.

Defenseless and in tremendous pain, Vader could do nothing other than lie back and wait for Plagueis to finish him. Instead of doing so, Plagueis simply held his lightsaber against Vader's chest.

**...**

Once Palpatine had silence again, he continued with his speech. "Darth Vader was recently dispatched to Geonosis to handle the situation there. The warlords' assassination of Secretary Amidala has shown that not only do they have no desire for peace, but they would spur the galaxy to descend into violent barbarism if they were not eliminated. Vader was sent to not just avenge the death of Amidala, but to slice off the heads of the Separatist movement. With the death of the warlords, their movement will be extinguished, and the galaxy will be united once again.

Palpatine took another pause as he reached out to feel what was happening on Geonosis. He could feel the presence of two beings strong in the dark side, indicating that Plagueis was still alive. He concentrated further on the two, focusing on Vader, and feeling the pain and dread coursing through him. He couldn't gauge the exact situation, but it was apparent Plagueis had bested Vader. It appeared he was not going to be able to announce the grand victory he was hoping to in order to win the support he needed. Even if he did get the support he needed, he was going to have to split the galaxy with his former master.


	13. Chapter 13: Birth of the Empire

**Chapter 13: Birth of the Empire**

Vader waited for Plagueis to finish him, but the killing blow never came. What Vader didn't realize was that Palpatine was able to see everything that was happening. Plagueis was in tune with the dark side enough to feel it, but Vader was still too inexperienced to do so. Plagueis knew Palpatine would disengage the moment he saw Vadar was killed, so he refrained from doing so as he wanted his former apprentice to hear the message he had for him.

"This set of circumstances is rather unexpected, I have to say. I really thought Sidious would get it right the third time, but he ended up making the same mistakes he did before. You didn't have the instincts of a Sith. If by some chance you had defeated me, the reign of you and Sidious would not have lasted long, as the deficiencies that caused you to fail at defeating me would have eventually brought down your supposed Empire. Now, I am free to turn my attention back to my usurper. I have a new apprentice and a nation of my own that I can grow until I control the entire galaxy, as I originally planned."

Plagueis's lightsaber flinched, as if he was going to go ahead and deliver the kill shot. Instead, he had more to say. "I am not just a little disappointed, but a little mad that I will walk out of here. I had expected you to defeat me and made arrangements with my new apprentice for just that sort of contingency. Pulling him out from where he is embedded will not be difficult, but there are other contingencies I made which will not be so easy to undo. In order to ensure you would be defeated quickly, I let your former master, Obi-Wan Kenobi, run away. Now, that I don't need him to kill you, he is going to do nothing other than cause me problems."

The revelation that Obi-Wan Kenobi was still alive barely registered with Vader, as he was trying to get himself out of his predicament. An idea came to him, if he could only locate his lightsaber. He reached out with Force, knowing his amputated arm would still register a Force presence. He found his arm and could feel it was still gripping his lightsaber. That was enough for Vader to transfer his focus on the saber and manipulate it with the Force. He activated it as he controlled it with his mind, sending it flying up in the direction of Plagueis.

With Plagueis still straddling the area between the conveyor belt and the catwalk, the lightsaber came up and sliced through him without him even seeing it. It started at his crotch, and then cut through his stomach and central heart before Vader stopped it right as it reached Plagueis's neck. He wanted to leave him alive just long enough to realize he had been beat.

Plagueis should have collapsed, but Vader was using the Force to hold him upright. Gravity was causing his innards to come out the slit that had been cut into his crotch. Blood was pouring out as well, pouring to the ground below. While the Muun's main heart had been sliced in two, its two other hearts were still intact and furiously pumping in order to make up for the loss of the primary one. The only thing they were accomplishing was pumping blood harder out of his body.

Vader could feel the life leaving the Muun's body. He knew Plagueis didn't have much time left. "Any last words," he taunted.

Plagueis glared at Vader with an intensity he was surprised the dying man was able to pull together. He scowled as he spoke, "YOU. ARE. NO. SITH."

Vader was amused Plagueis was defiant to the end. He flicked his finger to command the lightsaber to finish off Plagueis. It flew up through his neck and cut his head into two equal halves.

With Vader no longer holding up the body, the two halves fell the long distance to the ground. Vader took a moment to gather himself before he pulled out his communicator and contacted Thrawn.

"Plagueis is dead. Send out word to his forces on the planet. Give them a five-minute deadline to surrender. If they don't surrender at the end, fire down at them with everything you have." Vader paused as he remembered that before he came down, he had told Thrawn once Plagueis was dead, he wanted an army sent down to lead the conquest of the planet. It pained him that with the injuries he suffered, that was not going to be able to happen. He had been relishing the chance for such a conquest, as he knew it would go a long way towards establishing the reputation of Darth Vader. He had to remind himself there would be other opportunities. Right now, he needed to swallow his pride and admit how badly he was injured. "Once the coast is clear, send a crew of medical droids to fetch me. I have suffered a serious injury."

After shutting down the communication, Vader leaned back and reveled in his victory. Despite suffering a major injury, he had defeated Plagueis. He had also given his first command to the forces of the new Empire. While he wasn't personally leading the army to conquer the planet, he would still get the credit for it. Word of what he had done would spread, and the name Vader would become one that would be revered throughout the galaxy.

**...**

Palpatine had difficulty continuing his speech while watching through the Force what was taking place on Geonosis. Plagueis had sensed his presence and was using the opportunity to deliver a message. He wished he could yell at his former master to just get it over with and kill Vader. He also wished that he could somehow kill Vader himself. He had entrusted his new apprentice with a mission of the utmost importance, and the man had completely failed him.

All of a sudden, Palpatine felt a disturbance in the dark side. Something unexpected happened, and he tripped over his words. He apologized as he told the senate the moment was getting to him, and he needed a second to remind himself what he wanted to say. It was out of character for him, but no one in the full hall thought anything of it, he had them in such a trance.

He had no need to remind himself of what he needed to say, he just needed the moment to see what had truly happened on Geonosis. He was transported there right as his former master was sliced in two. He could see through Vader's eyes as he watched the two halves of the Muun's body fall to the ground.

In the Senate hall, Palpatine had to work to keep his expression stolid. He was absolutely elated. His apprentice had come through, after all. It was time for him to deliver the news to everyone.

"Once again, I must apologize to you. I was not completely truthful as to why I flubbed my speech. The truth is, I have been receiving updates through my earpiece from Darth Vader about the progress of his mission. I am pleased to inform all of you he has come through for us again. All the warlords are dead, the Separatist movement is through without them. I anticipate all the systems will petition to rejoin the Republic, only, they won't be joining the Republic, they will be joining a new entity."

Pausing, Palpatine looked down and bit his lip to show he was troubled by what he had to say. "I think it is about time I got to the real reason I ordered this special session. It has been clear to me, and I know, clear to many of you, that the Republic stopped functioning a long time ago. This war just brought that to the forefront in ways we hadn't noticed before. I do believe that much of that decline and inability to function was due to the actions of the Jedi. They had grown weak, and they took the entire Republic down with them.

What we need is a new order built around strength. The Jedi provided much of the legitimacy for the Republic as well as the moral framework for it. With them gone, we are going to have to instantly come up with a new framework to give our order legitimacy. This war and the unrest that it brought within our own borders shows the people are skeptical of the system and many of the leaders. They have come to believe their leaders do not have their best wishes at heart, or that if they do, they do not have the wherewithal to successfully work for them.

What our new order needs is to toss aside all the failings of the old order. Where power was too dispersed to function, it must now be concentrated to be utilized. Politicians who only worked for themselves must be replaced by those who will work for the good of the entire galaxy. A moral framework that worked only for the elite must be replaced by one that works for everyone.

The reforms that are needed are numerous and can only be carried out by people that everyone will trust to get the reforms done. There may be no one in the galaxy that fits this criterion, except one. I know you can all guess I am talking about myself. Normally, protocol would demand that I find a patsy to present myself as this new supreme leader, but those are of the kinds of protocols that need to be relegated to the dustbin of history. I am presenting myself you to as an autocrat because I am not afraid to take responsibility. I have achieved much success in this war. It is over, and the galaxy stands to be united once again. The Jedi that have destroyed the Republic have themselves been eliminated and are now on the run. We have the opportunity to build a new order around me that will correct all the failings of the Republic. This new age will be an empire that will mark the beginning of a new golden age for the galaxy."

The Senate hall erupted in cheers. It was full of craven and cowardly politicians who lived up to the worst stereotypes the public had about their leaders. There was nothing they loved more than handing off responsibility to someone willing to take it. With Palpatine as emperor he could forever be their scapegoat. Palpatine understood this and had counted on it when he made his plans for asserting himself as emperor. They all thought they were using him, making him the scapegoat of all the turmoil that would follow as the nation rebuilt from the war. They thought once the rebuilding was done, his popularity would be non-existent, and he could be jettisoned. They didn't realize he had plans to prevent that from occurring. He would use the time to consolidate power and disband the Senate before they could ever turn against him. For now, he was soaking up their cheers, reveling in the completion of the Sith grand plan that had made him the ultimate ruler of the known galaxy.

**...**

"The scout ships are awaiting your orders, Lord Vader." Thrawn stood before him, waiting for him to give his commands. Vader was laying out on a hospital bed, being fitted with a mechanical arm by a medical droid.

"Good, patch me through to them." When the light on the communicator next to him indicated it was connected, he went ahead and gave his message. "This is Lord Vader speaking. Those of you are about to leave to scout the Jedi have been selected for a very crucial mission. The Jedi have proven themselves to be the enemies of the nation and must be eliminated. Most of them have gone into hiding and needed to be actively hunted. That is where you come in. We know the locations where most of the Jedi were before the order went out for their arrest. Each of you have been assigned a Jedi to find. Start where they were carrying out their missions and go from there. When you find them, do not engage. I repeat, do not engage. Contact me. The Jedi will be too dangerous for you to fight. They are mine to deal with."

Vader ended the transmission as he looked at the mechanical arm the droid had given him. Everything was completed, and the droid sought to test and make sure he had feeling in the arm. The droid gave the arm a harsh poke, something that displeased Vader greatly. He crushed the floating droid with the Force. It landed on the ground with a loud thud. After checking the arm himself, he disconnected all the wires that connected it to the medical equipment. He walked over to the window that took up one whole wall of the room. Together, he and Thrawn looked out at all the scout ships flying away from the fleet.

**The End**


	14. Chapter 14: Epilogues

**Epilogue**

As Obi-Wan sat in the command chair of the Sith fighter, he contemplated his next move. He had a Sith ship that could operate in stealth, so he could go wherever he wanted without having to worry about being detected. The possibilities that opened for him were endless.

He had scarcely been able to believe that the Sith ship truly had the abilities Damask had said it did. As he flew away from Geonosis, he had been expecting to be blown out of the sky by Thrawn's forces. Instead, he sailed right past them. He tapped into their communications and didn't pick up any indication they had any idea he was there; he was completely invisible to them.

Once he made it past the fleet, he made a quick jump to hyperspace. He just had the computer navigate a microjump to take him to some random and empty place in space. He needed someplace where he knew he couldn't be found. When he exited hyperspace, he tapped into all Jedi communications. He could hear the chatter as those who were still left alive discussed the chaos they felt happening to the Jedi. Only the ones who had been on missions without clone troopers were left alive, and they were trying to discuss a course of action. They kept mentioning a speech Palpatine had given where he declared himself an autocrat. Before he did that, he explained why he had been forced to eliminate the Jedi. The Jedi knew they had been declared enemies of the Republic, they knew they were being hunted, and they knew one of their own had turned against them, causing their communications to be compromised. To the best of their ability, they were discussing what they could do to set up a new system without giving away anything that would give the traitor too much information as to what they were doing.

Obi-Wan moved to join the conversation, but hesitated. Everything that had happened was his fault. Anakin was the traitor responsible for their purge, and as the Jedi who discovered him, and trained him, his fall was Obi-Wan's responsibility. Telling the others would only bring anger and resentment down upon him, but he had to do it. He couldn't allow Anakin to pretend that he was still a Jedi and lure the others into a trap.

"This is Obi-Wan Kenobi," he said as he broke in.

It was rather un-Jedi-like, but he could hear the others squealing and hooting over the joy of hearing he was still alive.

"Master Kenobi, is that really you?"

"Of course, it's him, I'd recognize that accent anywhere."

"It's a miracle, we heard Secretary Amidala was slaughtered, along with her entire delegation. How did you make it out alive?"

He could sense the skepticism in the voice of the Jedi who asked him how he survived. He was thinking this could be a trick and wanted to gauge if this was truly Obi-Wan.

"I got separated from the delegation, as I was covering their escape. They made it off the surface, but as they tried to fly back to the fleet, they were attacked by Separatist fighters and annihilated. I was able to find a ship of my own to make it off the surface and fly past the fleet right as they sent out word that I was now their enemy." He did his best to keep his voice even so they wouldn't detect he was lying to them. He felt he succeeded, and he wasn't exactly lying to them. He was just telling them the truth, from a particular point of view.

"It was fortunate for us that you were able to survive Master Kenobi. It appears you are the only Council member to survive. What do you want us to do?"

The weight of what had happened hit Obi-Wan as an immense force. It pained him that he couldn't be the leader they believed they needed.

"What I want you to do is to chart your own course now," he began. "I know you think you need the leadership of someone like me right now, but I am not the one to provide it. The truth is, I am responsible for everything that has happened. The Jedi who turned on our own order, it was Anakin Skywalker, my former apprentice. I failed in my training, and that failure has almost destroyed the Jedi, but not entirely. I know there are many of you listening to this communication, and while we have suffered a devastating blow, there are still enough of us left to fight and rebuild the order. The Jedi will be reborn, I can sense it. I must set out on my own now, but I hope to meet-up with all of you later. Before I go, I will leave you with a couple pieces of advice. Do not be hasty in fighting back. Be patient and plan your moves well. Also, disperse yourselves. The Sith will be hunting you down, and it will be wise to prevent them from having a singular target to go after. The smaller the group, the more you can stay hidden, and act in a clandestine fashion."

Obi-Wan paused and let out a very soft sigh as he considered what his final words to the other Jedi should be. He thought it best to just keep it simple. "I hope to see all of you again. May the Force be with you."

After exiting the radio communication, Obi-Wan plugged into the public news feeds and brought up the Palpatine speech the other Jedi had been referring to. He listened to the entire thing, taking in Palpatine's declaration of a new empire with him at its head, and Darth Vader as its enforcer. All of this was met by raucous applause from the audience.

The task ahead of the Jedi was immense, Obi-Wan knew. They needed to overthrow this new empire, but that task seemed impossible when they were fighting for their own survival. Just as Obi-Wan had explained to the others, they were going to have to be patient, and bide their time.

In biding their time, Obi-Wan knew they couldn't be idle. Palpatine had likely spent years building up support and putting plans in motion to reach this level. There was no question in Obi-Wan's mind he had additional plans in place for consolidating his power. They needed to know what those plans were. As that thought occurred to him, he remembered the information he had pulled from the research computer on Geonosis. He brought up the holo-viewer and activated the image of the superweapon. Obi-Wan had convinced himself that the plans for it were all a trick by Plagueis, but now, he wondered if everything he had found was actually real. Perhaps Palpatine was truly planning on building this weapon. If so, his control of it would make it impossible for any system to oppose him. Setting a course for Kamino, Obi-Wan knew he had to find out the truth.

**...**

Darth Vader stared at the speaker as he listened to the final message Obi-Wan gave the remaining Jedi. He had been surprised that his former master had taken responsibility for his failure, but then, he didn't have much choice. The other Jedi needed to know that the man they knew as Anakin Skywalker could not be trusted.

Vader was seriously disappointed the truth of his identity was already out there. He had hoped to be able to use his identity as a Jedi to lure at least a few of the Jedi stragglers into a trap. It didn't matter that option was lost to him now. It would make hunting down those who were left a little more difficult, but they would all die, eventually.

"I believe I owe you an apology, Lord Vader," Thrawn said behind him. "I don't know how Obi-Wan slipped past me, but he did. It is my fault he survived to deliver the news of your true identity."

"You mean my former identity." Vader spoke in a scowl as he corrected the alien.

"Yes, your former identity, my apologies." Vader could feel Thrawn's emotions through the Force. The entire time he was apologizing, there was no hint of fear in the man. He should have been afraid that Vader would strangle him to death for his failure, but he wasn't. Vader wondered if that was because of the position he occupied, or if it was because he knew he had once been Anakin Skywalker, a Jedi, and believed he wasn't capable of such an indiscriminate killing.

"You should be proud," Thrawn said to him. "In your first day as Darth Vader, you saved the life of our new emperor, began the purge of the Jedi, and single handedly crushed the Separatist movement. Your exploits should be celebrated, and you deserve to bask in the glory of it all. If you would like, I could assemble all the officers in the fleet so you might introduce yourself to them."

"No," Vader replied in a deep voice. Thrawn was trying flattery to get back into Vader's good graces.

Thrawn seemed taken aback as he looked over at the Sith. "You don't want to be celebrated for your efforts? Becoming a Sith has changed you in more ways than I thought."

Anakin smirked as Thrawn had finally broached the subject. "I haven't changed that much. I seek the glory and the notoriety that was denied to me by the Jedi code, but I am willing to be patient. I realize the name Darth Vader is new to the galaxy, and it will take time for people to learn who I truly am and why I should be feared."

"Why take the time?" Thrawn questioned. "There are men here who will recognize you. They didn't know your name before, but they knew how powerful you were and what you could do. When they realize the powerful warrior they knew is now Darth Vader, they-"

"I know what you are thinking, but I don't want anyone's thoughts of me to be clouded by what I was before. I was a powerful warrior, but I always had to follow the Jedi code. I held myself back. I want to be known as something else. I want to be feared. I want to be known as someone who will not hesitate to dish out the ultimate punishment in order to instill obedience."

"I understand that, but you can't just hide who you once were."

"Actually, I think I can. It will take a mask to hide my identity, that is all."

**...**

The twin suns of Tatooine beat down on Padme as she walked across the desert sand. Threepio and Artoo were trailing dutifully behind her. She knew they were doing so out of respect, as she had reached a point where she was struggling so badly to walk they could have easily gone right past her.

She had landed her ship a good distance from the Lars homestead, in the middle of a rocky outcrop where it would be impossible to spot unless they knew it was there. When she had mapped out everything, she had assumed it would not be that difficult to walk the distance she needed to the moisture farm.

The mistake Padme made was she forgot just how unforgiving the twin suns of Tatooine could be. She also failed to realize just how difficult the long hike would be while pregnant with twins. She tired quickly but continued as she figured she could make it. She was over halfway there when she began to think she would not be able to reach her destination, but she was stuck, the distance back to the ship was the same as the distance to the Lars farm.

The droids were doing their best to encourage her. To her surprise, Threepio was supportive, instead of complaining and being his otherwise prissy and pessimistic self. Artoo was acting as her navigator, telling her what direction she needed to go. Threepio dutifully translated everything he said. The two of them worked well together, for a change.

When Artoo started going nuts, squealing and shaking, Padme was scared that he was detecting danger. She looked at him with terror on her face. Threepio recognized it and quickly translated.

"Artoo says we are getting close to our destination. He can pick it up on his sensors. We just need to continue in the direction we are going."

Excitedly, Padme looked ahead, expecting to see the farm. "I don't see anything."

"Neither do I, Mistress Amidala, but Artoo assures me it is straight ahead."

Padme was so desperate to reach the safety of the farm that she didn't want to waste any more time asking questions. She started running ahead, but that only served to sap the last of her energy. She was already seriously dehydrated and trying to run with the extra weight around her stomach was too much. She got down on all fours, wondering if this was the end for her. She tried to listen for the droids but had run so far ahead of them they were going to need time to catch up to her.

When she finally lifted her head up, Padme was shocked and elated to see the familiar dome of the Lars house. Not only that, but she was able to see a person walking around outside it. She immediately started screaming to the person. It was hard for her to make out if they heard her or not. For a moment, she thought they stopped to look in her direction, but when they disappeared inside, she figured they had failed to notice her.

Her heart sank but then leapt up into her throat when she saw two figures emerge from the house and start running towards her. She knew it was Owen and Beru. Tears of joy started falling down her cheeks. The wind picked up, though, and started blowing sand in her eyes. She had to look down and away from the figures running towards her.

"Padme, what are you doing here?" Beru yelled when she reached her.

"I need sanctuary," Padme replied, her voice weak. Beru didn't hesitate to help her up. As she did so, she could tell that Padme was heavier than she was expecting.

"I can't believe it," Beru said. "Are you-"

"Yes, I'm pregnant. With twins. And Anakin is the father." Padme choked up as she reminded herself what her husband had become.

**...**

The clone troopers were in the middle of clearing out the Jedi library when a young, mustached officer walked in. Since officers had been checking on them periodically, they paid him little attention. He, on the other hand, was greatly interested in what they were doing. He watched as they gathered all the datacards and holocrons, depositing them in bins that had been laid all around the library.

"May I ask what the destination is for all these containers?"

"Everything is to be incinerated," the nearest clone answered. "The information contained here is too dangerous to be allowed to survive."

"Is that so," the officer replied as he pursed his lips. "It is a good thing I came here to check on you, because it appears you were given incorrect orders."

All the clone troopers around heard what the officer said. They stopped what they were doing to hear more, as they were skeptical he was telling the truth.

"Is that so?" The clone trooper who had been talking to the officer challenged him. "Just what orders are we supposed to be following, and who do they come from."

"These orders come from Grand Admiral Thrawn, and you are to give everything to me, so that I may deliver them to him. He is greatly interested in preserving the knowledge contained in this library."

Hearing the name Thrawn instilled fear into the clones. They didn't want to disobey the head of the Empire's military forces. The clones all looked around at each other to see if there were any objections. When no one spoke out, the officer knew they would give the containers to him.

"It appears that there will be no problem with me taking everything," the officer said. "I have some other issues to attend to." He reached out and handed the nearest trooper a communicator. "When everything has been collected, call me. That communicator is set up so you can reach me directly."

He looked around one last time before he turned to leave. He stopped when he realized he had one more thing to tell them. "I just realized I never gave you my name. That will assuredly come in handy if someone questions you about who commanded you to hand them the bins. If you receive any questions, just tell them you received your orders from me, Lieutenant Pellaeon."


End file.
